jfiKE-cgwaifiafiMi; 



G670 

1881 

.G71 




^^- 



Ww$^ 









'./^S- 
,^^-^. 



<^.\m^v ,v 



■<-'\ 



-Z' 






1?.° ^^^ 

^ .,^^ 









%■ 



■^ 






%. 






v.. \v :- 



.-^ ' , - ^ -A ^0 ° " -p o 



^'3 



'^-^.0^' r^. 



■<^ 



v^ 



vO 



G 



,v 






.-^ 



.^ 



V 



\^ 



o 

o 



'^ 









,-v\ 



4,0' .r'^'/. 






o 



«,, f^^,,5!' 




\~..^^ .'^#4^ 



.'^^^ 






^ '^^ 

o 

%f Ik 



v\>%- 



^^^^^ 



o 
-v- 







( 



^0' 



^0^ 



f 








i"- A 






'o 




.**\.: 






' 


^o 


V* .-/ 














/' 








J^ 








. V 


->> 








# 


% 









<'. 






A 



<*. 



..'^ 






V. 









•a? X- 



V 












jOv% 



.HO, 



\^^~ 

.^^•• 



°^ 



^^ 



V, ^ 






%> * » « o ^ <^^ 



O > 









-^' . 



A 



\ 













t 

K<^ 



A >r, - n - . V 









<. 



■9/ 
-o . » - G 'o 

,0^ 0%.;% o. 



•-' .<^ 



^^% °:^^>^" /^\ 









•5* ^ 






■ <5^. * o -. ^ <j,^ 



y<> 



A 






^ 



'^^ 



A 1 V*<">i%, 



,v 



.f 









-\ 



40 









'C^-, 



.:tV^ ^.. A^ 

o V 



C\ ' 



^^ 



'\o^ 






.' .0 



.0 "^^^^r":^.- <^^ 



Digitized by the Internet Arciiive 
in 2011 witii funding from 
Tine Library of Congress 



http://www.arcliive.org/details/greelyarcticexpeOObarc 




AS FULLY NARRATED BY 



Lieut. A.W.GREELY,U.S.A. 



AND OTHER SURVIVORS OF 



THE GALLANT UTTLE BAND OF HEROES. 



i 

I 
THE 



GREEL! IIrctic [xpedition 

AS FULLY NARRATED BY 

LIEUT. GEEELY, U.S.i^, 

AND OTHER SURVIVORS. 



WVZ.Ij account of the TEHniBLJE SUFFEBINGS OlS 
THE ICE, ANn AWFUL TALES OF CAJSNIBALISMt 

COMMANDER SCHLEY'S REPORT. 
WOITOEEnJI DISCOTEEIES BY HETIT. &KEELT, 

THE AMERICAN ARMY OPFICER, 

AND HIS LITTLE BAND OF HEROES. 



PUBLISHED BY BARCLAY & COMPANY, 

21 NOBTH SEVUNTH STREET, 

f ilFC 1 
PHILADELPHIA, PA. ' tsl 



y-i 



AGENTS WANTEJ>. SPECIAL TEEEITORY GIVEN,' 



^IMHIIJUU.1 II —^.i— .__— 



Guo 



Esterad aceMrding to Act of Congress, lii the year 188^ bf 
BARCLAY A CO., • 
In the Office of the Libradaa of Conercw, ct Waahington, D.Ol 




THE Um miCTIC EXPEDITI 

AS FULLY NARRATED 
AND OTHER SURVIVING HEROES. 

TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS! ON THE ARCTIC ICE! 

"Men under such awful circumstances lose all control over th&ir 
better natures, and may become even cannibals. 



I wish first, in opening this narrative, to state the object of the Lady 
Franklin Bay Expedition. It was to establish at Lady Franklin Bay a polar 
station, one of the thirteen suggested by Lieutenant Weyprecht, of Austria, 
who discovered Franz Josef Land. Simultaneous observations of all physical 
phenomena were to be taken. The complete programme which was to be 
followed was arranged by an international polar congress, in which represen- 
tatives of thirteen nations took part. 

The observations in which the greatest possible accuracy was to be had were 
those of declination and deviation of the magnetic needle, temperature of the 
air and sea, height of barometer and mean and maximum rise and fall of tides. 
All explorations were incidental to the main objects of the expedition. The 
expedition was fitted out under authority of an act of Congress, approved 
May 1, 1880. 

The party was composed of three officers of the army, one acting assistant 
surgeon and nineteen enlisted men selected by recommendation from the ranks 
of the army. Stores for twenty-seven months were put on the Proteus for the 
party. The Proteus steamed away from St. John's, N. F., July 7, 1881, with 
the party on board. She touched at Disco Island and Upernavik to procure 
sledges, dogs, skins and dog food. Two Esquimaux were added to the party 
at Proven. 

Landing was made at Carey Island, in the north water, and provisions 
cached by Nares in 1875 in the Alert were found in good condition. At 
Littleton Island Lieutenant Greely personally recovered the English Arctic 
mail left by Sir Allan Young in the Pandora in 1876. 

At Carl Ritter Bay, in Kennedy Channel, a cache of provisions for use on 
the retreat was made. It was the original intention to establish the polar 
station at Water-Course Bay, but the heavy masses of ice which were en- 
countered rendered Water-Course Bay an exceedingly dangerous anqhorage. 
Moving to Discovery Island, the station was there established on the site 
occupied by the English expedition of 1875. The erection of a house was at 
once commenced and the stores and equipments were landed. On the 2Sth of 
August came the parting between the Greely party and the men of the 

19 



I iwnimn 



20 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

Proteus. The little band gathered on the frozen dhore and watched th 
ProteUdJ as she steamed slowly down Lady Franklin Bay, leaving them to tlu 
niercies of the cruel north. On the evening of the same <lay the tetn})eratun 
sank below the freezing ])oint, and the icy Arctic winter was on them ii 
earnest. Their house was finished about a week after tlie Proteus le(t. Itwaa 
named, in honor of Senator Conger, Fort Conger. During the first montli 
the cold affected the men more than any subsequent time at Fort Conger 
Later o.n fn December the temperature sank to from 50 to 65 degrees below 
Eero, and so remained for days at a time; but even in that weather the cook's 
favorite^ amusement was dancing bareheaded, barearmed and with sli{)|)ere( 
feet on the top of a snowdrift. During the day the men dressed in ordinary 
clothing, but their flannels were very heavy. Five of the men were generally 
for a part of the day engaged in scientific work under Lieutenant Greely's 
direction, and in the duties of the camp; the rest of the men were employeKl 
generally about one hour a day, and devoted the remainder of the time to 
amusement. All slept in bunks. The quarters were heated by a large coal 
stove, the average heat maintained being 50 degrees above zero. Playing 
checkers, cards and chess and reading were the amusements of the evening. 
The life was said by Lieutenant Greely to be far from a lonely one, and many 
of the men said they had never passed two happier years than those spent at 
Fort Conger. 

On the 15th of October the sun left them for 135 days, and a twilight vary- 
ing from half an hour to twenty-four hours succeeded. For two months it 
was 80 dim that the dial of a watch could not be read by it. On Aj)ril 11 the 
sun came above the horizon and remained there '135 days, giving the party a 
great sufficiency of midnight sun. 

During three months the stars were visible constantly, the constellations of 
Orion's Belt and the Great Bear being the brightest. The North Star looked 
lown from almost overhead. Standing alone outside the fort on one of these 
nights the scene was weirdly grand. To the north flame<l the aurora borealis, 
ind the bright constellations were set like jewels around the glowing njoon ; 
over everything was dead silence, so horribly oppressive that a man alone is 
almost tempted to kill himself, so lonely does he feel. The astronomer of the 
party said that with the naked eye a star of one degree smaller magnitude than 
ran be seen here in the same way might be discerned. The moon would 
remain in sight for from eleven to twelve days at a time. 

The thermometer registered on June 30, 1882, the highest temperature at 
Lady Franklin Bay which we knew during our stay. It was 52 degrees above 
zero. The lowest was in February, 1883, and was 60 degrees below zero. 
In this February our mercury froze and remained solid for fifteen days, so 
intense was the cold. The mercury in the thermometer invariably rose during 
storm and high winds. The highest barometer was slightly above 31 inches 
and the k) west slightly below 29 inches, showing a great range. The greatest 
varieties were in the winter. The electrometer, an instrument used to avScer- 
lain the presence of electricity, was set up, but, to the astonishment of 
[Lieutenant Greely, not the slightest result was obtained. The displays of 
aurora were very good, but not to be compared to those seen at Disco Island 
or Upernavik. As far as Lieutenant Greely could observe, no crackling 
sound accompanied the displays, and the general shape was that of a ribbon. 
The south-western horizon was the quarter in which the brightest displays 
were seen. 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 21 

Sir George Nnres reported in 1876 that no shadow was eiist by the aurora, 
but Lieutenant Greely says that he distinctly observed iiis shadow cast by it. 
There were no electrical distnrbances save those tnanifested by a rumblinj^ of 
(hstant thnnder, heard twice far away to the north. In tiie course of the tichil 
observations made a very interesting fact was discovered, viz., that the tides 
at Lady Franiclin Bay came from the nortli, while those at Melville Bay and 
(^ape Sabine caine Irom the south. The temperature of this north tide is two 
degrees warmer than that of the south tide at Cape Sabine. Why this was 
Lieutenant Greely wouKl not venture to state. He used in measuring the ebb 
and flow of the tides a fixed gauge — an iron rod planted in the mu(L 

The average rise of spring tides at Lady Franklin Bay was found to be 
eight feet. At Cape Sabine the highest tides rise twelve feet. Surf was only 
'ihserved twice during the two years. At Lady Franklin Bay the average 
!i'm])erature of the water was 29 degrees above zero, or 3 degrees below the 
iVeezing point. Wolves weighing ninety })ounds were killed around Fort 
Conger, and there are foxes and other animals there. Of fish there is a 
wonderful scarcity. Perhaps the greatest surprise of the expedition was the 
taking from Lake Alexander, a fresh water lake fifteen feet above the sea 
level, a four-pound salmon. 

From the l)ay or sea only two very small fish were taken during the entire 
two years, and very few are to be found north of Cape Sabine. The vegetation 
at Lady Franklin Bay is about the same as at Cape Sabine, and comprises 
mosses, lichens, willows and saxifrage. Snow storms are, of course, most 
frequent, and rainfalls very rare. The highest velocity of the wind was regis- 
tered during a terrific snow storm — seventy miles per hour. Lockwood'a 
trips to the north in 1882 and 1883 were productive ot the most valuable 
results. Standing on the 19th of May in each year where Dr. Hayes had 
formerly stootl at about the same day, Lockwood, from an elevation of 2000 
feet, using his strongest glass on Hall's basin and Robeson's channel, could 
discern nothing but ice packs. Here it was Dr. Hayes claimed to have seen 
his open polar sea. 

On the trip of 1882 Lockwood reached the highest latitude ever attained — 
83 degrees 25 minutes north. This was about 300 miles directly north of Lady 
Franklin Bay, but to get there he traveled over 1000 miles, the open water and 
broken packs frequently causing him to retrace his steps fifty miles. Lock- 
wood sounded the sea both years between Cape Bryant and Cape Britannia, 
but ('(Mild not touch bottom with 135 fathoms of line. 

Markham, a few years before, about 100 miles to the west, got bottom at 72 
fathoms. Lockwood found at his farthest north about the same vegetation as 
at Lady Franklin Bay, but no signs of a polar current or open polar sea. In 
1883 he was stopped near Cape Bryant, 125 miles from Lady Franklin Bay, 
by an oj)Gn channel extending west to the coast of Grinnell Land, The width 
of tha channel varied from 200 yards to five miles, but on the north the ice 
packs extended as far as could be seen with a glass. With his supply of pro- 
visions, tiie failure of which had caused his return the year before, Lockwood 
was confident that he could have reached 85 degrees north if this open channel 
had not barred his way. No fossil remains were discovered on this trip, and 
the onlv ones found were the trunks of trees on the south-west coast of 
Grinnell Land. 

The only sea animals seen by Lockwood at 83 degrees 25 minutes were the 
walrus and seal, and, strange to say, the walrus is not to be found at Lady 



22 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

Franklin Bay. At 83 degrees 25 minutes the deflection of the magnetic 
aeedle was 104 degrees west, more than one-fourth of a circle. As far as 
Loekwoorl went the north-eastern trend of the Greenland coast still continued. 
The maps of the new regions he discovered are in the possession of Lieutenant 
Greely, and are very carefully made. All through the two years at Lady 
Franklin Bay the magnetic needle was never quiet exce|)t during storms. In 
February, 1S83, preparations for the retreat were made by establishing a de{)ot 
at Cape Baird twelve miles to the south. 

Day after day the anxious men looked off over Lady Franklin Bay, expect- 
Bjg the ice to open, so they might commence their journey toward home. At last, 
on August 19, 1883, the welcome news that the ice was open was brought. 
All had been made ready, and that very day the party embarked in the 
little steamer launch. Behind them they left their dogs, as they could not 
be taken. Four barrels of pork and some seal oil were left for the animals. 
Lady Franklin Bay was crossed to Cape Baird, a distance of thirteen miles, 
and then the western coast of Grinnell Land was followed south as far as 
Cape Hawkes. Large quantities of heavy ice were met, and extreme was 
the danger that every moment the little launch would be crushed. The 
suffering of the men was very great. They were now within fifty miles 
®f Cape Sabine. 

Striking from Cape Hawkes direct for Bates Island, the party was caught 
in the ice pack and frozen in ten miles south of Cape Hawkes. In thirteen 
days they drifted south twenty-five miles on the floes, suffering horribly from 
the cold. So they drifted to within eleven miles of Cape Sabine, and were 
©bliged to abandon the steam launch on September 10. The pack now 
remained motionless for three days, and several times the party got within 
two or three miles of Cape Sabine only to be drifted back by southwest gales. 
Five seals were killed and eaten while the party were drifting about. Even- 
tually a heavy northwest gale drove them by Cape Sabine, within a mile of 
Brevoort Island, but they could not land. On September 22 there arose the 
most teiTific gale they had yet seen on the Arctic Ocean, Their ice floe 
was driven hither and thither by the tempest, and the waves washed over 
1 'lem again and again, the spray freezing to them and causing them intense 
: differing. Night came on, one inky blackness. The wind threw the heavy 
iioes together, and crash after crash of ice breaking from their own floe 
xvarned the men that death was near to them. No man knew at what 
minute, the floe might break up and the waters engulf them. The first faint 
light of dawn showed them that little remained of the floe upon which they 
w-ere. The sea washed another close to them. Closer it came, and at last, at 
the word, the men succeeded in getting upon it. The storm slowly subsided 
and they gained land at Esquimaux Point, near Baird's Inlet, on September 
29. Here winter quarters were built, and scouts were sent to Cape Isal)ella 
and Cape Sabine. In a few days they returned. Their report sent a thrill of 
Iwrror to every heart. At Cape Isabella and Cape Sabine were found only 
1800 rations, and from Garlington's records they learned the fate of the 
Proteus. Every one knew that death must come to nearly all of the party 
long before the ship of rescue could force its way into Melville Bay. Efforts 
were made to sustain the spirits of the men by lectures and light reading. 

On October 15 the party removed to Cape Sabine. On January 18 Gross 
died of scurvy. In April the rations issued daily had dwindled to four ounoc 
of meat and six ounces of bread. Man after man died, and all hope had ^ 




LIEUTENANT ADOLPHUS W. GREELY, U. S. A., THE GREAT AECTIC HEEO. 



TiilO (iKKELY ARCTIC EXPP:DITI0N. 25 

when on that stormy day tho hhist of tlie Tlietis whistle roused tlie survivors 
from the letiiargy of approaoliini; death. 

I do not think the North Pole can be reached unless every circumstance 
liitherto found to be unfavorable should prove favorable to the party attempt- 
iiiii; to reach the pole. If it is to be done at all it will be done by way of 
Franz Joseph Land. It could never have been reached l)y the Jeaiinette's route. 
That there is an oi)cn jjolar sea I am well nigh certain. This is proved by 
the drifting out of Mnscle Bay and Spit/bergen in midwinter and the northern 
drift of the polar pack experienced l)y Pavy and Lockwood in 82 degrees H'^ 
minutes. Men can stand two winters very well at Lady Franklin liay, but 
physical strength rapidly deteriorates. If we had liad every sup[)ly and 
necessary of food we could have lived, perhaps, eight or ten years at Lady 
Franklin Bay. 

STARVING IN ARCTIC SEAS. 

The Ghastly Prison in the Ice-floes — Camp Sabine's Horrors — 
The First Suspicion of CannibalisiM. 

We must now give space to the story of cannibalism, and allow such wit- 
nesses to testify as can best be relied on for the truth. 

Very few of the crew of the two relief vessels which reached Greely's deso- 
late camp were permitted to see the bodies of the dead. When their condition 
was discovered and the horrible fact was apparent that cannibalism had been 
resorted to, the officers of the two vessels took every precaution to keep the fact 
from the sailors. The officers, assisted by only a few sailors, uncovered the 
bodies and prepared the remains for removal to the ships. The gravel thrown 
over them was only a few inches in thickness at any |)lace, while the heads and 
feet, of several were exposed. The officers carefully shielded the bodies, and it 
was this act which first aroused the suspicion of many of the sailors. Blankets 
were taken to the camp from the Bear, and in them the officers rolled the bodies. 
Not until this was done were they confided to the care of sailors for transpor-;, 
taiion to the steam launch and to the sliip. These coverings of blankets were' 
never removed, and when the iron caskets were prepared at St. John's the 
received the remains without a single blanket having been disturbed, and t'.e 
lids were riveted on the coffins. Clean white waste was packed about the bun- 
dles in the caskets, to prevent their rolling about. Everything was done in a 
careful, painstaking, reverent way, and only to the officers and a few sailors — 
not more than three or four — was it known for a certainty that 

THE BODIES WERE MUTILATED. 

In handling tlie remains after they had been prepared by the officers, the 
exceeding lightness of some of them was remarked upon by the seamen, and a 
doubt was more than once expressed if more than half of a body was within 
the covering. Tiiis was noticed in removing the bodies from their shallow 
graves in the gravel at the Cape and again when they were placed in tanks on 
the Bear and Thetis — six in one and seven in the other. It is said that the 
body of the Esquimaux was not mutilated to any extent, but it was with reluc- 
tance that it was left at Disco, and then only, by the imperative order of the 
inspector of Western Greenland. At Godhaven the Governor wished the body 
left, but he was prevailed upon to leave it with the others. At Disco, however. 



26 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

the demand for the remains was imperative. Some of the men had been littl*; l 
more than skin and hones when they died, but the little flesh they had was 
gone in places, as on thi; calves of the legs, on the hips, thighs and arms. Some 
of this, it was asserted, was used as bait for shrimps, some to sustain the wast- 
ing life of the survivors. There seems, from the condition of the bodies, that 
there was no concerted action on the part of those remaining to sustain life in 
this way. None of the limbs were missing. But rather it seems that the per- 
ishing men went to the bodies when hunger became unbearable and supplied 
themselves as best they could. 

The disclosure made by unearthing the bodies of the dead was generally 
discussed by the crews of all the vessels on the homeward trip. Giving due 
allowance for the imagination of the sailors, the hard facts of the few who saw 
the remains and related what they saw to others before silence was enjoined, 
shovv that terrible scenes must have been enacted by the famishing men in the 
Greely camp during the many long months that famine was with them. 

The officers of the vessels, who alone could tell in full detail the condition of 
the dead when found, refused to speak at all on the subject. " There is this 
much about it," remarked one, " that if cannibalism was resorted to it can 
never be proved. No oath, however sacred, could make the survivors speak. 
So, I say, it can never be proved. Proof by circumstantial evidence? Yes. 
But nothing else." 

Commander Schley received our representative in his cabin on the Thetis. 
" I suppose," he remarked pleasantly, as the reporter entered, " that you have 
come to interview me?" 
I "Yes, sir." 

I " I must decline to be interviewed," said Captain Schley. " I don't wish 
you to consider me impolite, but I can say nothing." 

" I wished to ask you ab«ut the subject of the report of cannibalism. Can 
you tell me anything about it." 

" I caii say nothing," said the captain. Nothing whatever. I mean no dis- 
respect by declining. You do not, I think, appreciate my refusal from a mili- 
tary standpoint. It is under that that I can say nothing." 

Captain Emery, of the Bear, was at his home in Long Island. Lieutenant 
Crawford, in command of the Bear as first officer, declined to have anytliirig 
to say. Captain Coffin, of the Alert, also refused to talk on the subject, as did 
many other officers seen. They all seemed to feel that the report of the expe- 
dition having been made to the Navy Department they would render them- 
i^elves liable to court-martial if anything was said. This same feeling extended 
to the crews, which stand in the same relative position to the officers of the 
vessels as the officers to the department. 

" It is not only this," said one intelligent seaman, "but it is such a horrible 
thing that I dread to think of it, and I thanked God that as time passed till 
crew quit discussing it constantly. It sickened me." 
I " It was a common topic, then ?" 

"Yes, indeed. The few who had seen the bodies had no backwardness at 
fipst in telling their condition. Those who had not seen them knew from the 
first that something was wrong by the way the officers screened them fron:. 
view. That was from no feeling of respect to the dead, however great th< 
respect really was." ' 

" Did you see the bodies?" ' ' 

"If I did I am not at liberty to tell you anything of their condition." 



THE GREKLY ARCTIC EXPEDmON. 



27 



*' What was tho talk of others who did see them?" 

"That portions of the flesh had been cut away from different parts of the 
bodies. Some were nearly stripped of flesh — nothing but bones left." 

" Would not that have been the case had the bodies been long buried?" 

''I think not. In that country flesh does not decay. There was no putre- 
faction. Tiio bodies would shrivel and dry up in time. I am satisfied as to 
what occurred at that camp, but I cannot say anything about it." 

Five boilies of the dead were reported as washed away. Four of these 
•n'retched men died in June — the month of the greatest want and suffering. 
That they were mutilated like the others, perhaps even worse, is not at all 
improbable. 

From all of the score or more of officers and seamen, seen by our searcher 
after truth, on the vessels of the relief squadron not a single denial of there- 
ported facts was heard. Officers declined to speak of the matter, as did a few 
of the seamen, while all were careful of any statement they made. Some of 
the visitors at the navy yard seemed to wonder that the facts had not appeared 
before, and to have taken it for granted when the condition of the Greely party 
was first reported that cannibalism had been resorted to. 

It is more than probable that when all details of the story are known Dr. 
Octave Pavy, the surgeon of the expedition, will be found to have shared the 
same or a very similar fate to that of young Charles Henry. The deaths of 
both men are entered under the same date on the ship's journal. Nothing is' 
said about Henry's being shot. There is a blank left beneath the words, 
" Under the following order," and the names of the two men are written at 
the bottom of the page. The order, which was written on a separate piece of 
paper, had not been copied into the book. Dr. Pavy's body was one of the 
four swept away to sea. It is said that most of the men who went with the 
expedition were under arrest earlier in the winter for the same offence which 
cost poor Henry his life. 

With regard to a rumor that the men who perished in the Jeannette expedi- 
tion shared a similar fate, a gentleman thoroughly informed of the facts said: 
"It is not true. The bodies of the Jeannette dead were all found intact. The 
nearest ap})roach to any such thing was in the case of Dr. Ambler, who sucked 
the blood from his own fingers. 

The reader of the foregoing will bear in mind that it leads up to the actual 
facts afterwards discovered, and that it is all interesting because of the persist- 
ence shown by those who caught glimmerings of the true state of affairs and 
who determined to know the best and worst. 

Just about this time there were others at Portsmouth, N. H., (where survi- 
vors had arrived) endeavoring to get at bottom facts. 

The recital of this new phase in the already frightful story of the last 
winter of the Greely party, how men, crazed or stupefied by the pangs of 
hunger and the terrible cold, fed on the bodies of their companions, created 
great excitement in the quiet town of Portsmouth, so closely interested in the 
unhappy expedition, and was received with a general feeling of horror. Not that 
the information was altogether sudden and unexpected, for indeed it had already 
i)egun to be whispered about. At the navy yard, almost from the day of the 
•irrival of the ships of the rescuing squadron, there had been a feeling that 
iihere was some hidden horror still untold in the history of those dreary months 
unong the ice and snow. Military and medical officials had been more than 
:)rdinarily reticent, and all the intricacies of red tape which could surround the 
oonvalescent survivors had been retwistcd and red()ul)lt'd. 



\ 

28 THE GREELY AKGTIC EXPEDITION. 

Extraordinary precautions had been taken to prevent the arctic heroes from 
communicating with the other inmates of the yard hospital, and the miniature 
lawn, on which they were accustomed to take their daily exercise, was strictly 
guarded by rows of sentinels. These measures may have, of course, their 
.warrant in the debilitated condition of Brainerd, Long, Connell, and the 
others, but nevertheless quite another interpretation was by some people ])ut 
upon this isolation since these latter and terrible rumors had gained currency, 

"I freely admit that we felt there was something exceedingly ugly be- 
hind all this," said an attach^ of the navy yard to-day. Indeed it is not diffi- 
cult to see that to some extent, among both officers and civilians, the heart- 
rending story of the distress and maduess of the unhappy explorers finds a 
more than partial credence. 

; LIEUTENANT GEEELY, 

with his wife and children, was in possession of a neat, unpretentious cottage 
on the banks of the river and within the limits of the navy yard. Sergeant 
Brainerd and the others were quartered at the navy yard hospital. Those of 
the party who were strong enough strolled about the grounds and even visited 
the city, but care was always taken to guard them from the questioning and 
conversation of strangers. The strictest orders were issued against the visits 
of the reporters of the press. In fact, so thorough was the seclusion of the 
survivors, that a seaman, an inmate with them of the hospital, stated that 
passing the time of day with one of them was the only communication during 
the time they had been under the same roof. One tiling seemed assured, that 
the story of the tragic death of poor Henry and the desperate resort to the 
flesh of their dead comrades had not come directly from the lips of the 
survivors. 

THE TALLIPOOSA 

lay at the navy yard pier, and Secretary Chandler, accompanied by one or two 
of the ship's officers, was pacing her quarter-deck. The Secretary seemed to 
be in a decidedly sombre mood. As to the reported acts of cannibalism by 
biembers of the Arctic party, he stated that he had nothing to say. He would 
admit nothing and deny nothing. The reports of Lieutenant Greely and Com- 
mander Schley would doubtless soon be made and would be straightway put 
ibefore the public. He had no knowledge of any movements in official circles 
liooking toward the calling of a court of inquiry; in fact, the Secretary went 
on to say, the convening of such a court rests with the Secretary of War. 
', General Hazen said : " Well, there may be something on which to base 
such a story. It is largely exaggerated, however. I glanced casually over 
the thing — the article, I mean — and I noticed a number of misstatements." 
: " What were they, General ? " 

"Oh, for instance, it was stated that the amputated limbs of men were 
'even eaten. That is not so. The only amputation that occurred was that 
of a limb of one of the survivors after the rescue. Now there was plenty of 
good provisions aboard the rescuing ships, and, of course, there was no neces- 
Bity for eating flesh in that shape." 

"The main st(jry, then. General, about the horrible events is substantially] 
true?" ■ ). 

), "Why!" exclaiiucd [\\v. General quickly, "they can't be so very horrible.1 
mt. 



THE GIIEET.Y ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 21 

I suppose there must he some warrant for men even indulgiuf^ in canniUallsn 
when they are reduced to the very verge of death by starvation. But then J 
liave no knowledge which I will communicate upon this subject." 

A German named liujjesser, one of the seamen of the Thetis, who accom 
panicd the officers to the graves of the Greely party who had perished, said 

" It was Second Lieutenant Colville who stood over me as I dug up tht 
bodies. He and one other officer and myself were the only ones that left th 
boat to go to the graves. I had my shovel with rae, as I was saying, but thi 
first thing I saw was a naked corpse lying right out on the ground. On th 
the calf of the leg and on the thigh there were deep cuts, as though a sailor* 
sheath-knife had carved away the flesh. The skin was drawn tightly overth 
rest of the body, and even in the places where the cuts were, not much flesl 
had been taken away. The man was too much a skeleton, too much wasted 
to vield more than half an inch of flesh on any part of his body. The cut 
looked as though some person had made a hasty slash with his knife in wha 
were once the fleshy parts of the leg. The slashes were about eight inche 
long and three wide. They were on both legs and thighs — four cuts in all. W 
three stood there looking at it for some time. Of course, it wasn't my plac 
to say anything and I kept ray mouth shut. Lieutenant Colville was the firj 
to say a word. He sent me back for some blankets, so I dropped ray shovt 
and hurried away. When I got back with the blankets there were two othc 
uaked bodies lying side by side with the first rautilated body we had found. 

" Then these three corpses had never been buried ? " 

" Buried ? No. They had been stripped of their clothing as soon as the 
had died, and left naked on the ground. Some of the flesh had been cut awa 
from the arms and shoulders. The cuts were rough and jagged, as if done j 
night, and at a time when the cannibal had to trust to his sense of feeling." 

The story of the shooting of young Charles B. Henry, a private, who ws 
buried at Cypress Hills, was said to be briefly this: When the game gre 
very scarce early in June, 1884, Greely called his men together and with thei 
took stock of the food on hand. There were only a few days' rations, an 
these were equally divided. In the division Henry made a grab for moretha 
his share. This was passed over, but next night he was caught stealing fco' 
A council was called to act in his case. They were desperate men. They fe 
that their own lives lay in protecting their rations. It was necessary to mal 
an example ; and besides, with one man out of the way there would be oi 
less mouth to fill. So with one voice the poor fellow was condemned to di 
He was shot in the head and breast, and it was claimed that when the boc 
was found the head was missing. The coffin buried at Cypress Hills, it w 
alleged, contained only a headless trunk. Such is the outline of the story to 
by a half drunken sailor. 

Commander Schley said : 

"Did I know of anything of the kind having been done I should refuse 
gratify a morbid curiosity and create a sensation out of the sad misfortunes ( 
these men by disclosing my knowledge to any but the proper authoriti* 
Men in such a situation lose their reason, and are not strictly human bein^ 
Starvation reduces raen to brutes pretty rapidly, and they will resort to mea 
of sustaining life which to us would seem appalling. If you and I we 
reduced to such a strait that one raust eat the other or both die, then it 
proper that only the fittest should survive. Yes, sir, we have experienced 
good deal of hardship. As soon as we struck the ice I did not sleep mr 
than two or three hours a day, and when asleep my mind was working hai 
looking for a lead through the ice. I found Greely many times in my drean 



\ 

30 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITiON. 

to say nothing of the easy [)assage 1 ciiscovered through interminable fields of 
ice. From fifteen to twenty-two and twenty-three hours a day I spent in the 
crow's uest looking in all directions for the safest and quickest passage." 

LIEUTENANT GREELY'S REPORT. 

"Portsmouth, N.H., August 11, 1884. — Adjutant General, U. S. Army 
(through Chief Signal Officer, U. 8. Army) : Sir : I have the honor to report 
that on June 6, 1884, at Camp Clay, near Cape Sabine, Grinnell Land, it be- 
came necessary for me to order the military execution of Private Charles B. 
Henry, Fifth Cavalry, for continued thieving. The order was given it writing- 
on my individual responsibility, being deemed absolutely essential for the 
safety of the surviving members of the expedition. Ten had already died of 
starvation and two more lay at the point of death. The facts inducing mv 
action were as follows : 

"Provisions had been stolen in November, 1883, -and Henry's complicity 
therein was more than suspected. March 24, 1884, the party nearly perished 
from asphyxia. While several men were unconscious and efforts were being 
made for their restoration, Private Henry stole about two pounds of bacon 
from the mess stores. He was not only seen by Eskimo Jens Edwards, but 
his stomach being overloaded, he threw up the undigested bacon. 

" An open investigation was held, and every member of the party declared 
him guilty of this and other thefts. A clamor for his life was raised, but was 
re[)ressed by me. I put him under surveillance until our waning strength 
rendered his physical services indispensable. 

"Later he was found ntoxicated, having stolen the liquor on hand for gen- 
eral issue. A second time his life was demanded, but I again spared him. On 
June 6 thefts of provisions on his part having been reported to me, I then had 
a conversation with him, in which I appealed to his practical sense, pointing 
out that union was necessary to our preservation. Distrusting him, I issued 
a written order that he should be shot if detected stealing. 

" On June 6 henot only stole part of the shrimps for our breakfast, but visit- 
ing unauthorized our winter camp, stole certain sealskins reserved for food. I 
then ordered him shot. On his person was found a silver chronograph aban- 
doned by me at Fort Conger and stolen by him. In his bag was found a large 
quantity of sealskin and a pair of sealskin boots, stolen a few days before from 
the hunter. 

" Suspecting complicity on the part of several, I ordered his execution by 
three of the most reliable men. After his death the order was read to the 
entire party, and was concurred in by every member as being not only j ust, but as 
essential to our safety. To avoid public scandal, I ordered that no man should 
speak of this matter until an official report was made of the facts. 

" I have the honor to request that a court of inquiry be ordered or a court 
martial convened, should the Honorable Secretary of War deem either advis- 
able in this case. I have thought it best not to ask the written statement of 
the surviving members of the party for appendices to this report, lest I might 
seem to be tampering with them. I have not asked since our rescue, June 22^ 
whether opinions concurring in my action have changed or not, leaving such 
questions to your action if deeaied requisite. I necessarily regret that circum- 
stances imposed such a terrible responsibility upon me, but I am conscious that 
I should have failed in my duty to the rest of my party had I not acted 
promptly and summarily. I am respectfully yours, " A. W. Gkeely, 

" First Lieutenant Fifth Cavalry, U. S. A., and Ass't Commander of L. F„ 
B. Expedition." 



THE GUEELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

ENGINEER MELVILLE'S PLAN. 

Wis Opinion of The Jeanneite Reijcs — The Official Letter 
The Danish Consul — Path of The Arctic Currents. 

Engineer Melville, who was one of the officers of the Greely relief si 
Thetis, returned to Pliiladelphia. He would not talk about the expeditii 
us he thought that all the facts would come out in the official itivestigati 
which would certainly be held. He was much interested in tlie report of 1 
finding of relics of his old ship, the Jeannette, off the soutlieast coast of Gre( 
land. T!ie only thing which he looked upon as throwing doubt upon I 
report was that portion which alleged that tlie charter party and De Lori 
checkbook were found. He said that this was impossible, because he brou^ 
lioth the book and the charter party home with him. It appears now tl 
the official report of the Governor of Julianshaab does not allege the recovt 
of either, but only a portion of a box in which they had been probably at c 
time deposited. The official letter as translated is as follows : 

"On the 18th instant three Greenlanders picked upon an icefloe soi 
effects and some partly torn papers belonging to the wrecked American Arc 
Jeannette expedition, among which are the following : 

" 1. Two end pieces of a wooden box, on which is written with lead pen( 
on one piece: 'General orders, telegrams, sailing orders, discipline, shij 
papers, various agreements, charter party.' The last words are not very pla 
On the other piece was : 'Before sailing.' ; 

" 3. A torn checskbook. On the back of one of the checks is printe 
' For deposit with the Bank of California.' 

" 4. A pair of oilskin trousers, marked : ' Louis Noros.' 
" These effects, numbering twenty-one pieces (besides the papers), are in r 
poasession. I am going home to remain during the winter. Should anybo< 
want further information, such can be obtained by addressing 

" Kolonibestyrer C. Lytzen, 
Kongl. Gronl. Handels-Kontor, 
Kjobmhavn, K. Denmark. 
" The Colony Julianshaab, in South Greenland, June 23, 1884. 

"Respectfully, Carl Lytzen. 
"To the Danish Consulate in New York." 



This authoritative statement establishes beyond a doubt the truth of Captai 
Wilson's story. The following interesting explanation of the manner in whic 
the relics reached such an unexpected quarter is given by one of the owne: 
of the Fluorine : " The course of the Jeannette, wedged in the ice, is true pro* 
of a westerly current along this unexplored {)ortion of the Arctic Ocean alon 
the coast of Siberia. The ice would thus be taken between Nova Zembla an 
Franz Josef Land, where a strong westerly current sets against Spitzl;)ergei 
and thence southwardly around Spitzbergen, where an indraught of the Gu 
Stream gives a northern dii-ection to the current. This northern course, a 
you notice on the chart, continues to about latitude 80, longitude 10 east 
where it meets the southward current pouring from the Polar Ocean and i 
carried down on the east coast of Greenland. When the ice got to Cap 
Farewell it was, very likely, carried around that corner of Greenland by Gul 
6tream influence and floated to the very spot where it was found. In p^- 




PRIVATE HENRY. 

Tried by Court Martial and shot by order oi Lieut. Greely. This is a likeness of the German ^oKiiof *bc 
whose death the story of cannibalism was first started. 

The will of Private Charles B. Henry, of the Greely Expedition, who was shot for stealing provisioi 
was tiled yesterday for probate in Chicago. It is written in pencil on a scrap of paper about the size of 
l)ostal, torn from a blank book ; is dated at Camp Clay, EUesmere's Land, May 9, 1884, and reads as follow 

" I, Charles B. Henry, being of sound mind and health, do hereby declare this to be my last will and U 
lament : All my property, pay due and that may become due, I bequeath to my parents, brother and sistt 
now alive, to be equally divided among them. William Helms, of 20 South Water street, Chicago, 
appoint as ray executor. Charles B. Henry, Private Fifth Cavalry, U. S. Army." 

The will is witnessed by Lieutenant F. F. Kislingbury and Private Joll Bender. A postal card to M 
Helms tells of the condition of the command, saying that " seven had already died and the remainder e. 
pected death." 



34 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

forming this journey the relics of the Jeanuette went about 2500 miles in about 
1000 days, allowing for all the twists an<l eccentricities which the currents may 
be subjected to. This would give the floe an average travelling time of two 
miles and a half a day." Engineer Melville himself thinks that the relics 
came by the current thus described, if they really came from the Jeannette. 

An ex-naval officer, who has unquestionable means of knowing about what 
he was talking, told an interesting story which throws some light upon the 
official responsibility for the misfortunes of the Greely party. He said that' 
one day, almost immediately after the return of the Garlington party on the 
Yantic, Engineer Melville received a telegram from Secretary Chandler, who 
was at the Hoffman House, New York, asking him if he would go on an 
expedition to find and relieve Greely. He promptly responded yes, and a few 
hoMrs afterward took a train for New York, where he met the Secretary and 
nnlblded a plan for an expedition, which could have been undertaken at 
once. He proposed that the Yantic should at once be loaded with pro- 
visions, and with eleven men he (Melville) should be sent at once to Cape 
York, where they could be left with the provisions and equipment, and the 
vessel return home. Then Melville and his men were to carry out a per- 
fectly feasible plan for reaching Cape Sabine with foo<1, where he felt satisfied 
that Greely was, and bring them safely back to Cape York. This plan, as 
explaineii to Secretary Chandler, met with his approval, but before adopt- 
ing it he finally submitted it to a Naval Board, which at once rejected it and 
Bucceeded in inducing Secretary Chandler to abandon the plan because of the 
Board's jealousy of the gallant Engineer. " Had this plan by Melville been 
adopted," said the officer, " the entire party would have been saved, because 
Greely was then at Cape Sabine." 

WELCOME HOME! 

A Day the Oldest Cannot Match and a Day for the Youngest 

To Remember. 

The pulse of Newburyport has been stirred to its depth. It has not alwpys 
been over ready to go out of its way to pay special honor to a child of its soil 
who has won fame abroad. Christ's saying, "a prophet is not without honor 
except in his own village," has been especially true of Newburyport on more 
than one occasion. But the life of our young Arctic hero has been so full of 
modesty as well as of bravery and gallant achievement, that hardly a dissenting' 
voice has been heard in the preparations for doing him honor. Nothing has been 
so remarkable about the whole affiiir as the general and deep-seated feelings in 
the breasts of all the community over the affair, following out, it must be 
acknowledged, in a large measure, a good, though somewhat blink instinct that 
the event was worthy the attention and mental strain it has imposed upon 
them. For there has been displayed on all hands a marvellous lack of 
definite appreciation of what Greely and his comrades have really accomplished, 
or of the real cause in which they labored and suffered. This ignorant senti- 
ment was even voiced by one of the speakers of the day during the afternoon 
exercises. Among a large class there has a sort of chorus gone forth : " Oh 
these Arctic survivors ought to be honored for their bravery ; but they were 
on a useless errand, and others ought to be stopped from following in their 
footsteps," The»e seems to be a prevalent vulgar notion that Greely and his 
mates were only bent on a vainglorious attempt to set foot on the particular 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 35 

spot of earth known as the North Pole, with no other object than the boa.st of 
having heon there, where none could reach before. No one seems to have had 
the .simple sense to explain to the multitude that it is the observation of nature 
in the far northern region that is sought; that the Arctic circle is the veritable 
" Cave of the Winds " in ancient mythology ; and that our bold bravers of the 
blasts of Boreas are bent on finding why the wind, " which bloweth where it 
listeth," should list to blow in this direction or in that, and will never rest 
until they obtain this information ; and further, that the slightest addi- 
tional hint on this subject is of incalculable value, affecting ages unl)()rn, tlieir 
comfort, their safety, and their means of improved existence; and above all, 
that while countless thousands die in ignominious strife against vice and squalid 
poverty, and heartless social oppression, the loss of myriads in such a cause as 
that of Arctic exploration is far to be preferred. No man's life is of more 
value than another's. We are all as sands of the shore, our snuffing out a 
n)oment sooner or later is of no more significance than the eccentric flashes of 
the firefly. If there is the remotest chance that an Arctic expedition will add 
a trifle to the stock of human intelligence, the sacrifice of life is well compen- 
sated. The lives would at l>est soon vanish ; the knowledge lasts forever and 
l>enefits the millions of ceaseless cycles yet to come. The only thing which 
justifies the extraordinary interest and sympathy extended to Greely and his 
comrades, their joys and sorrows, while thousands of others are suffering and 
starving unheeded day by day, is the fact that Greely and his mates have been 
fighting the battle of humanity. It is a groping instinct anent this truth 
which has so awakened our citizens to such a demonstration as they have 
made, and which has impelled it on, in spite of inadequate time, often inade- 
quate arrangements, and scanty meant', to an almost unparalleled success as a 
demonstration of public feeling. It was the overmastering sense of interest in 
every participant, and appreciation that it was an honor to join in such an 
afJair which has made Newburyport's reception of Greely the phenomenal 
success in our history. And this was the home of his aged mother. 

At Newburyport, Mass., August 13, 1884, the people fairly rose at the 
reception given Lieutenant Greely, the Arctic hero. All along the route of 
the procession the streets were thronged with people, and what is very retpark- 
able, so great was the crowd of strangers that Newburyporters seemed to be 
literally buried from sight, save, of course, those hiring the windows of stores, 
houses and halls;* one would now and then go from fifty to a hundred feet 
along the sidewalks before recognizing a familiar Newburyport face. When- 
ever Lieutenant Greely was recognized some one would call for cheers, and 
they would l>e given with a will, and taken up and echoed and re-echoed along 
the great lines of humanity lining the streets, .so that it can truly be said that 
almost from the time of leaving his mother's home in the morning until his 
return in the afternoon he received one continued grand ovation. When the 
procession stopped opposite the Mall after the countermarch. Lieutenant 
Greely's carriage was instantly surrounded by a great crowd of people who 
were so eager to speak to him that he would doubtless have been subjected to 
considerable annoyance but for the watchful care of his brother sir Knights, 
who gathered with drawn swords upon either side of the carriage. The Mall 
was literally packed with people, the front being reserved for all the school 
children of the city: each one of the latter had a flag in hand, and when .the 
])rocesslon moved again, and the children on the upper end of the Mall caught 
«ight of Lieutenant Greely, they commenced waving their flags and .set up a 



3G THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

joyous cry of welcome. This was taken up bj the others along the line, the 
childish voices rolling along like unto the waves u{)on 'the seashore, increasing 
in intensity until there came welling up from childish throats one glad trium- 
phant shout, accompanied by the waving of a perfect sea of jflags. Lieutenant 
Greely appeared delighted with this outburst from the little ones, and kept 
bowing and smiling his thanks to them, which served of course to make the 
children more and more enthusiastic, and almost in an instant their enthiisiassn 
v«i)read to the crowd of men and women all about the Mall, grand stand, streets 
jfiud sidewalks in that vicinity, and such a storm of cheers, clapping of hands, 
waving of handkerchiefs, followed, as has not before been witnessed in New- 
bury port for half a century at least. As the procession passed down State 
street a pretty bouquet came floating down from one of the windows ; it was 
passed to Lieutenant Greely, who smiled his thanks to the fair donor. On 
Fair street, Orange street, Bromfield and High streets, there were pretty 
groups of little children, waving flags and trying in their childish way to utter 
words of welcome. It is needless to say that their cunning efforts were repaid 
by bows and smiles from the honored guest of the day. When the procession 
passed the home of H. P. Macintosh, that gentleman appeared in full Sir 
Knight uniform!^ bearing in his arms a little daughter of A. W. Teel. Tlie 
little lady bore a splendid floral maltese cross, which she presented to Lieuten- 
ant Greely, saying " Lieutenant Greely, please accept this maltese cross as a 
token of the regard of Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Macintosh." He replied as fol- 
lows : " Thank you, I thank you ; I highly appreciate the gift." At the corner 
©f l^rospect and Lime streets his carriage was again stopped and little Miss 
Lulu Fowle presented him with a superb floral tribute. Lieutenant Greely 
took it from the hands of the little lady saying, "I am indebted to Miss 
Fowle," and the carriage drove on. As the procession passed his mother's 
home there' was another outburst of cheers. Another brief halt was made at 
the residence of John H. Newman on High street, where Lieutenant Greely 
and his brother Sir Knights indulged in lemonade, which proved decidedly 
refreshing. As the carriage of the Lieutenant neared the home of Solomon 
Bachman, a party of ladies and gentleman already formed in line came trip- 
ping down over the lawn to the sidewalk where they halted and greeted him 
with cheers and waving of handkerchiefs, to which he pleasantly responded. 
At the Merrimac House a halt was again made. The Lieutenant said that he was 
lijghly gratified at the hearty welcome home he had received from his fellow 
;;t<)wnsmen. He said he felt very weary, but could not bear to leave the proces- 
sion until after he had had a chance to thank the people for their many courte- 
sies from the grand stand. As the procession passed the post office and his 
eyes fell upon the nineteen laurel wreaths surrounded by mourning badges, he 
was visibly aifected, and softly murmured, " The boys." The procession halted 
iij; front of the grand stand on Brown square at 1.13 P. M., and Lieutenant 
Greely' was escorted to a chair in the centre of the front row of seats, his ap- 
pearance being the signal for another outburst of cheers and music. Governor 
Robinson was also greeted with cheers as he came to the front. From the 
grand stand there was a sight long to be remembered. To the right engine 
cbrapanies, accompanied by bands of music and gaily decorated machines, were 
parading ; in front and around the grand stand was packed an immense crowd 
of people; to the left stood the Eighth regiment while here and there scattered 
among the crowd were horses and carriages literally wedged in. It was a 
memorable gathering. 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 



THE FORMAL WEIXK)ME. 
The Exercises at the Guand Stand — Mayor Johnson's Wei.comb 

AND LlI.UI'KNANT GkEELY's SpEECH IN RePJLY— A SPEECH BY GOV- 
ERNOR KolUNSON. 

Arriving at the grand stand, Lieutenant Greely and guests took seats on the 
stage. After Carter's Band had phiyed Keller's hymn, Rev. Dr Wallace of 
the" Old South Ciiureli was introduced and invoked the divine blessing, 
prnying^: 

" Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, we give thanks to Thee that tUou 
orowwest our lives with Thy mercies. Thou art the Creator of heaven and 
eaitli and all things therein ; our Sovereign Ruler and Disposer. Our help is 
in Thee. Thou art our God, and we will j)raise Thee. We render devout 
thanks to Thee for the occasion which has summoned us together, with one 
heart, to receive Thy servant, who comes to his native city after these years of 
t^il and suffering in an inhosj)itahle clime. We j)raise Thee for the success 
with which Thou dost crown liis efforts to advance the interests of knowledge 
and humanity, and that his heroic fidelity and courage and sacrifices are 
receiving the plaudits of his aj)proving countrymen. We especially render 
devout thanksgiving for the preservation of his life, when in imminent peril, 
that he was sustained in his extreme hour until succour ctime to him, and that 
he has been granted strength to appear among us to-day. We invoke the 
divine blessing upon him to implore that he may obt^iin complete restoration, 
and that it may be given him to possess length of days with ever increasing 
honor and usefulness, and at the end receive the beneniction of the blessed, ** Well 
done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord." We commend 
to Thee the comrades of thy servant who survive, who were the sharers of his 
])eiMls and sacrifices, and pray that their lives and health may also be precious 
in Thy sight, and that they may obtain the rewards of their faithful service. 
We bow in humi)le submission to the sad Providence that shadows our rejoic- 
ings, that so many of the expedition were called to saci'ifice their lives, and 
conimend to the Divine compassion the homes and communities which a,re in 
mourning because of their untimely death. We commend to Thee, O God, 
our l>eloved country, with all who bear rule in the several stations of responsi- 
bility, and pray that Thou wouldst bless our Army and Navy and ever give 
us ])ros})er!ty both on land aivl sea. Bless our Commonwealth, and all who 
preside over its welfare. Bless this, our own favored community — our homes, 
our institutions, our charities, and grant that all our trusts may be so adminis- 
tered that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty 
which is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Vouchsafe, 
God, to be with us in the public and private rejoicings of this <lay, in our 
welcomes and rejoicings may we honor Thee; Continue to raise up from 
among us those who shall gain just renown by their fidelity to truth and to 
humanity, and who shall worthily emulate the good and the honored who 
have preceded us. Hear these our supplications ; accept our thanksgivings 
which we render; pardon all our sins: help us to consecrate to Thee all our 
days, and through Thy redeeming mercy bring us all at last to Thy heavenly 
presence, which we ask through our I^ord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom 
with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be glory and praise forever and ever, 
Amen." 

Mayor Johnson then stepped forward and welcomed Greely, as follows: 






38 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

"Lieutenant Greely : In behalf of the citizens of your native city, I welcome 
you home. From our hearts we rejoice «t your safety and return. The honor 
you have brought, as well as the fame you have achieved for yourself, can 
never fkde. So long as the world shall exist, so long will endure the name of 
Lieutenant A. W. Greely, of Newl)uryport." 

Lieutenant Greely then rose, and after the applause and cheers had sub- 
sided, replied as follows : 

, "It is not possible tor me to put in words an expression of what I now feel, 
at such a reception as this. On all previous occasions when I have returned 
here, from my experience, first as a private in the war, and then as an officer 
in the war, and as an officer in the regular service, I have always experien<'ed 
the most kindly, treatment from this, my native city. On my late return to 
civilization and my country, the first part of the coast to meet my eye was 
Newburyport, its hills, its spires, and its houses. In my passage to and fro 
through the streets of the city to-day words fail to express my feelings, or 
utter my tlianks to you all. As I telegraphed from St. John, had I consulted 
my own feelings I should have preferred a more quiet occasion, but since you 
would have it like this, there is nothing for me to do but to once more thank 
you." 

At tlie close of Lieutenant Greely's remarks, which were greeted with cheers 
and muaio, Mayor Johnson advanced and presented him, in l>ehalf of the com- 
monwealth, with a magnificent floral ship. The ship, the presentation of which 
was the signal for another great outburst of applause, was presented by S. W. 
Twombly <fe. Sons, florists, of Boston, as the offering of the commonwealth. 
Alter Lieutenant Greely had expressed his warmest thanks for the gift. Mayor 
Johnson said : " Ladies and gentlemen : As Governor Robinson has been pre- 
vailed upon to say a few words to you, I have the honor of introducing that 
(distinguished gentleman." 

Governor Robinson was very cordially received, and spoke substantially as 
follows: 

" Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of Newburyport and country roundabout : 
It may possibly be thought an intrusion for a stranger to step in and utter a 
word amfd the joyous festivities over the return of one of your sons. While 
Lieutenant Greely belongs to Newburyj>ort, he is yet of Masssachusetts ; 
Berkshire claims him as much as Essex ; he belongs as much to the Connecti- 
Eut valley as to the eastern section of the State; and his welcome even is not 
to be confined within the boundaries of this State. His honored deeds, his 
heroism, liis noble self-sacrifice, may be made the theme of song, the sentiment 
of the heart as well as the sentiment of martial music, of banner and of 
streamer, but what is grander and yet more grateful still to him, can be shown 
in the warm grasp of the hand when heart meets heart, eye looks into eye, and 
as friend to fi'iend he tells what appeals to the heart more than this demon- 
stration, which appeals to the ear. In view of the honored past let me say to 
you, Lieutenant Greely, that you are welcome home — home to Massachusetts, 
where you are sure of a warm, hearty welcome on every hand, if you will but 
wear your name in your hat. Imagination cannot fill up the picture now 
forming in his mind — no one can judge of the reality. It must seem like a 
very dream, this change from death to life, this change from cold and starva- 
tion to warmth and plenty, from disease and death, aye, from the very jaws of 
heH — to home, to wife and family, to Massachusetts, to Newburyport, to all 
that is dear, all that is necessary to complete the sunshine of happiness." 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 41 

In closing the Governor urged the fellow citizens of Lieutenant Greely in 
later days, should he need their sympathy, to renienil)er the past and not fail 
to extend the warmest tokens of human friendshij). The Governor was fre- 
quently interrupted by applause, and at the close was the recipient of a round 
of cheers. 

Rev. Mr. Wallace pronounced the benediction, and this closed the noon 
exercises at the grand stand. 

Afler Lieutenant Greely had been introduced to the guests present on the 
grand stand, he was taken to his carriage and driven home, wliile the gu?sl3 
all proceeded to the City Hall, where, after arranging of toilets, etc., they 
marched to Fraternity Hall, where refreshments were served. 

AFTERNOON EXERCISES. 
Interesting Speeches, Pjreceded by a Band Concert. 

Soon after 3 o'clock a great crowd of listeners assembled in front of the 
grand stand on Brown's Square and listened to a band concert and speeches 
interspersed. The musical ])rogrararae, performed by Carter's Band, was as 
follows : 

L "San Francisco March" (composed by Sir Knight T. Morrill Carter and 
dedicated to Boston Commandery on their last year's trip to California). 2. 
Selections from "Beggar Student." 3. "Star Spangled Banner." 4. Galop 
by Strauss, " Dr. Picklehaub." 5. Song for cornet, by Victor. " Farewell." 
Q. "Coon Medley," by T. M. Carter. 

Hon. E. F. Stone called the assembly to order and spoke as follows: 

"Fellow Citizens: We give this day to services in honor of our fellow- 
citizen. Lieutenant Greely. It is a day of cordial welcome to our honored 
son, who comes home armed with glory and renown. We have received hira 
with music and banners and gay decorations — the natural expressions of our 
joy and satisfaction at this wonderful deliverance from a peril so imminent 
that it seemed to leave no room for hope. I read on the arch that surmounts 
the doorway opposite to the City Hall, 'Newburyport honors her son.' Why 
does she honor him? It is meet to-day that we not only show our joy at his 
safe return by these outward demonstrations which make the day .so gay and 
festive, but that we should take this occasion to say something of his virtues 
and of those high qualities which have distinguished him from a boy, an« 
have made his life a success and an honor to his native city. How modestly 
he bore himself in tlie brief remarks he made ujion this platform, and how 
truly he spoke when he said that some quiet, cordial reception would have 
l)een more agreeal)le to his taste than display and ceremony, but as we wished 
it, he yielded. His life is full of heroism and of those brave and resolute 
qualities which make the hero. When the rebellion begun, teeming with 
patriotism and impatient to engage in the contest, he enlisted, a niere boy, and 
by his good conduct, soon raised himself to the rank of lieutenant. After- 
wards, when it became necessary to use the services of colored troops, without 
hesitation, in spite of the prejudices that then existed, he took a commission, 
and soon distinguished hitnself by his bravery and devotion to duty, rising to 
the rank of major l)efore the war was concluded. When peace came, by his 
own efforts and merits he obtained a commission in the regular army, and 
aince then has her-t constantly gaining in reputation and standing, winning the 
good opinions of hose who knew hira by those rare qualities of courage and 



42 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

perseverance which have been his chief distinction througii life. And this 
is why we honor him. Because he has exhibited in his whole life those high 
moral qualities which make the hero. And there is nothing that excites the 
admiration of mankind like the heroic quality — nothing that excites such 
genuine enthusiasm, as those deeds which imply courage and seli-sacrifice. 
And as we honor Greely, and the more we reflect upon his life and career, the 
more we perceive that his success is not an accident to be explained by any of 
'^tie methods or expedients which often account for the success of clever men, 
aid will not bear examination, but the reward of genuine merit, and legiti- 
'tnate result of a life governed by high emotions, and devoted to worthy ends. 
But, fellow citizens, I am not here to sound his praises. We have men here 
who know his story and can recount his virtues and his deeds much more 
eloquently than I can ; men that have observed his career with interest from 
the time that he was a poor boy, a pupil in our common school, till he took 
command of the Arctic Expedition, which he was so well fitted to organize and 
to lead. We have with us Maj. Ben Perley Poore, who is familiar with his 
liistory, and who is always interesting and entertaining when he attempts to 
speak. I present him to you, with great pleasure, and hope that he will now 
address you." 

Colonel Stone then introduced Major Ben Perley Poore, who spoke substan- 
tially as follows : 

" I have known Lieutenant Greely more intimately at AVashington than 
elsewhere. I knew him during the war, and when it was decided to arm those 
in whose behalf the war was fought he gallantly took command in a regiment 
raised in Ix)uisiana. When the war was ended he was given a commission in 
the regular army. He went upon the plains fighting Indians, and afterwards 
he entered the signal service that was stationed at Washington, where he Mas 
employed in prophesying the weather. Here he conceived the idea of stations 
along toward the North pole. From that day you and the world know his 
history, and to-day we are gathered here to do honor to the man whose fame 
has gone forth around the whole world." 

Richard S. Spofford was the next speaker called upon. Mr. Spofford deliv- 
ered the following eloquent and stirring speech : 

*' If there were ever contrasting events in human lives, more strange than 
any told in song and story, they are to be found in the experiences of Lieuten- 
ant Greely and his associate heroes. 

" We behold him and his little band, on their perilous march from that poini 
of duty where, for a period of years, as it were beyond the bounds of time an« 
space — extra flamantia moenia ranndi — they had held the outposts of Scieno , 
against the beleaguering forces of Polar cold and death. Their presence but t 
mere speck of life in those dreary wastes which give to the Arctic region a 
deeper than the desert's solitude, above them and around them the lonesoue 
light of the unfriendly and unsetting sun, reflected in spectral gleams fr^m 
battlemented glaciers and plains, illimitable snow and ice, before them the jn- 
travelled and interminable way, with its hidden perils and alarms, so iso]4t.e<l 
are they that they feel no neighborhood but that of absolute negation, sole 
monarch of this unpeopled realm. In the midst of aj)palling silences, broken 
only by the crack and collision of the ice, the fall of the frozen drift, we follow 
them upon their desperate journey, their food scant, their strength half spent, 
their limbs frost-bitten, their eyes blinded, that awful suspense confronting them 
where years of absence ghroud as with a pall knowledge of how much 'A' horafi 



THE CJKKELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. I-T 

the grave has swallowed, with no solace but the consciousness of acliievement 
ami with no cheers, but their abiding faith, that come what may, at the ap- 
pointed time and place the great hand of" their country will be stretched forth 
to meet them. All this we see as but the prelude to that awful moment when 
they suddenly awaken to the knowledge and realization that with their own 
duty done to the last mite of its requirement, done without the loss of life or 
limb, their country, for whatever reason, has failed in hers, and forsaken in those 
icv wilds there looms before them they know not what destiny of abandonment, 
of starvation, of agony, despair and death. This was an apprehension realize<l 
to its darkest detail when, wrapped again in the terrors of Arctic night, again 
in the long glare of undying day, those that survived saw their comrades yield 
one by one to the deadly summons of hunger and cold — saw the fierce (xjcau 
currents sweep away many of those over whom with pitiful hands they had 
scattered snow for earth in the committal of earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust 
to dust, until at last, with diseased and disabled limbs, with j)owerless hearts, 
with delirious brains, without food, without fire, without strength, almost with- 
out life, they heard the cry of the rescuing voices when but another day would 
have niadii that rescue only the discovery of a frozen encampment of tlie dead. 

To-day the contrast! Sunshine and summer, music and flowers, tn^ops of 
friends, the plaudits of admiring crowds, the pomp of civic honor, home, wife, 
children, mother, country ! How great a change ! How marvelous a trans- 
formation ! Oh, tired eyes, dazzled with the ice-blink, and so long familiar 
with the awful apparitions of the north, how sweet to you must be these green 
fields and these pleasant shores of your native river! How sweet the faces of 
old friends, the iniforgotten haunts, the meadow levels, the spires, the hillside 
graves, the streets of Newburyport! 

From that thrilling hour when out of the darkness and gloom sur- 
rounding Lieutenant Greely's fate there came, to the sudden amazement 
of the country, since no report from the Relief Expedition was expected 
earlier than September, the news of his rescue and of the circumstances 
attending it with all their tragic import, it has been gratifying to see 
with what demonstrations of gladness and of sympathy that event has 
been universally hailed. Looking upon Lieutenant Greely simply as an 
American citizen, whom we were proud to claim as our countryman, and 
u[)on his deliverance as one of the most brilliant exploits of the naval arm of 
our power, the peoj)le of Newburyport would not have been true to themselves 
or to their traditions if they had been indifferent to the occurrences to which T 
refer. But remembering Lieutenant Greely as their own townsman, familiar 
to all their hearts and homes, it needs only this day to show with how much 
more personal an interest their feelings have l)een quickened and their mimU 
elated by every successive incident of his triumphal career. It has seemed to 
them well that the civilized governments of the earth, rejoicing with the gov- 
ernment and peo|)le of the United States, should have exhibited by their mes- 
eages of congratulation, sentiments so creditable to themselves and so consonant 
with the highest humanity. It was well that, upon their arrival at Newfound- 
land, the rendezvous of the returning fleet, within the dominions of that 
gracious Queen by whose ministry one of the ships of the relief squadron had 
been presented to our government, our brave heroes should have received the 
hospitality so lavishly thrust upon them there. It was well upon the arrival 
of that fleet within the waters of the United States, where the Thetis — rightly 
named for that sea-deitv who bor(> the arms to Achilles — had brouirht the Arc- 



44 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

tic dead to be bathed in the tears of the nation as the ancient Thetis preserved 
the body of Patroclus by bathing it in the nectar of the gods, it was well, I say, 
that under such circumstances our own country in her sovereign capacity, 
lier chief magistrate represented by the heads of great departments, should with 
national ceremony and with naval display and armament — the State of New 
Hampshire and our sister city of Portsmouth impressively participating therein 
— have fitly commemorated so important a national and public event. All this, 
[ say, was well, was precisely as it should have been, and it may be said with 
ruth of the event last week at Portsmouth, that rarely, if ever, have there 
oeen witnessed scenes more memorable, more fraught from l>eginning to end 
with those elements which inspire appreciation of the majesty of national power, 
the dignity of municipal authority and the value of individual character. But 
here in Newburyport, here in his native city, it is not merely a public reception 
which we tender to Lieutenant Greely and his associates, celebrating those events 
whether gratifying or mournful that constitute the dramatic spectacle of which 
he is the central figure, not this alone but something more. Here it is intended 
to be, here it is in fact with all that the phrase implies, so happily employed in 
the city's official invitations. Lieutenant Greely's Welcome Home. 

Whither, from his weary wanderings and unspeakable perils, from the 
mental and physical strain which he has endured so long, and from the tortur- 
ing death which he has but just escaped should he turn his steps with a more 
confident assurance that loving arms would be extended to embrace him there, 
than to this his native town. Where so gladly as here con Id he bring the 
laurels he has won, that his native place might share the rewards of his victory 
and participate in his fame. Where, above all, if not here to his mother's home, 
to the community that have sympathized with her long suspense, and who have 
compassed her with sweet observances, where, I repeat, if not here, should 
his heart revert and his footsteps bend, with the first promptings of filial duty 
and love ! 

That Newburyport is not unappreciative .of the affection with M'hich her son 
in his hour of triumph turns toward her, is witnessed not alone by the action 
of her coporate authorities, but in the generous, the spontaneous uprising of 
the whole community. The City Fathers, they are here to do him iionor by 
their presence. The people, in their various forms of social organization, tliey 
are here to see that no mark of courtesy or of respect be omitted. Those 
honorable Masonic bodies, almost coeval with the town itself, at their liead 
t!)e Knights Templar, in the ancient encampment of which Sir Knight 
Greely is an active member ; the trades and artisans whose skill and 
superiority are valued far beyord our limits; the lads of that intrepid and 
faithful fire department, as ready to battle the terrors of flame as the heroes 
they honor have been to battle the terrors of the cold, and who are now, as 
they always have been, the reliance of the city that they so vigilantly protect; 
that famed regiment of the volunteer force of Massachusetts, whose record the 
country knows by heart, resplendent as it is with martial deeds; all these are 
here to augment the impressiveness of the occasion and to niake this the most 
memorable day in the city's annals. Here, better than all, more beautiful 
than all — a feature which has distinguished every ceremony of a similar 
character in our local history, including the receptions to Washington and 
Lafayette, — with their bright expectant faces all aglow with youth and youth's 
exceeding beauty, the children of the public schools have ranged themselves 
in their lovely lines to see the hero pass, and, as it were, to utter beforehand 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 45 

in his liearincr the voice of posterity, as, in the Scottish legend, St. Dnnstan's 
harp announced future events with its spontaneous»sound. 

It is PhitJirch wlio has declared that the first requisite of happiness is to be 
born in a famous city, and it is no undistinguished roll of fame of which 
Newburyport in her exultant moods may boast, as she reviews her annals and 
recounts the names of the illustrious men with whom her life has been identi- 
fied. Where the long role of the angry breakers, warders of the city's watery 
gite, sounds his eternal requiem, there lies in his yet unnoted grave, a proto- 
iiiartvr of civil and religious freedom in the New World, the school-fellow of 
C'roinwell, the companion of Milton and Sir Henry Vane, the banished liberal 
()flG37 — John Wheelwright. Here, within those walls which have resounded 
to his rapt eloquence, stands the cenotaph beneath which rest the venerated 
remains of George Whitfield, — W hitfield whom Cowper sung — and of whom 
Buckle said that, if the power of moving the passions be the proper test by 
which to judge an orator, we certainly may pronounce Whitfield to be the 
greatest since the Ajiostles. Here rose among the earlier of our American 
jurists, Theophilus Parsons, sufficiently learned to be a recognized authority 
upon the Britisli bench and with whom men who became no less distinguished 
than Rufus King and John Quincy A<laras, studied law. Here lived and 
died that most versatile character of the generation to which he belonged, 
Caleb Cushing, scholar, author, lawyer, statesman, diplomatist, publicist. 
Here William Lloyd Garrison lived and labored, and here he founded the 
earliest of those anti-slavery societies which have given to his name immortal 
association with the emancipation of the slave. Here was the poet Whittier's 
early residence, whose hymns of labor and of freedom have made the world a 
better world in which to live ; here both Longfellow and Lowell had their 
ancestral home ; and here Pierpont, Lunt and Pike have mounted into the 
heaven of song upon no laboring wing. Here one of the foremost of her sons, 
considering his beneficent record, the mechanician and inventor, Jacob Perkins, 
grew to manhood, to whom it is rendering just, if tardy, homage to say that 
but for those ingenious processes by which he re-created, as it were, steel 
engraving, the most precious treasures of art would have continued to be the 
monopoly of the opulent few, and their copies now so indefinitely multiplied 
by the engraver's skill, would never have adorned, with all the refining 
influences, the poor man's dwelling, and that but for his successs in spanning 
the Merrimac, well nigh a century ago, with its picturesque Chain bridge, no 
gossamer span would fling its airy flight between Brooklyn and New York, 
varying neither in design or principle from its prototype so familiar to us 
here. And here also George Peabody, the greatest philanthropist perhaps of 
any age, began his business life, fitly remembered to-day because of his muni- 
ficent contributions to earlier Arctic Expeditions, and because one knows not 
how far his generosity to Newburyport, in his noble gift to the Public Library, 
may have stimulated, with the opportunities of study which it afforded, the 
youthful Greely's ambitions and so shaped his undaunted career. 

But even with all this record of splendid names and with a history glowing 
upon every page with the brightsome light of heroic sacrifices and honorable 
deeds, I confess to-day, that, taking it for all in all, measuring it in just and 
unexaggerated proportions, the City of Newburyport has had no greater 
occasion, has scaled no loftier altitude than that which she now enjoys in 
giving welcome to the most illustrious of her living sons, who "fills the 
mighty space of his large honors" with her renown, — an occasion when, if 



46 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

ever, the humblest of her citizens, pointing to that epigrammatic scroll, Teira 
marique, with which her mtinicipal shield is emblazoned, may be permitted to 
vaunt her pre-eminence both by land and sea. 

If it be asked by what instrumentalities, .or with what sorcery and magic 
our fellow-townsman had made fame his captive and enrolled his name among 
the names of the world's heroes, nowhere can the response be made so well as 
here. Those of us, at any rate, who have had the pleasure of his acquaintance, 
and who have followed the course of his shining career, have never for an 
instant doubted that in the perilous and arduous duty to which his country 
had assigned him he would exhibit all the elements requisite to crown the 
enterprise with success, let its dangers, its sacrifices, its labors be what they 
might. The event has shown how just were our anticipations. Notwith- 
standing all its misfortunes, the expedition commanded by Lieutenant Greely, 
— we have the assurance of his superior officers, — has been a complete success. 
Everything expected of it has been performed, and everything has been saved 
and reported of that official and statistical character for the attainment of 
which it was organized, and we know not how valuable its treasured archives 
may prove to be. 

A STORY OF HEROIC ACHIEVEMENT. 

Mr. George Kennan, of Washington, who has taken an active interest in 
recent attempts to relieve Greely's party, and who went before the Arctic 
Relief Board to urge the offering of such reward as would secure the co-opera- 
tion of the whalers in the search, says : 

" It is a story of remarkable and heroic achievement in the field clouded by 
disaster, due to incompetence in Washington. If Lieutenant Greely and his 
party had all returned in safety to the United States, as they might have done 
had they been properly supported, the Arctic record, in point of skillful man- 
agemenfand success, would have been unparalleled. No other Arctic expedi- 
tion has ever spent two consecutive winters and part of a third in such high 
latitudes and achieved such results without a casualty or single case of serious 
lllneas. If Lieutenant Greely had found at the mouth of Smith's Sound the 
shelter and food which he had a right to expect there, he would ])robably have 
brought his entire party back to the United States in perfect health, after three 
winters in *.he highest northern latitudes that have ever been reached, and 
after a series of sledging campaigns, which for boldness and skillful execution 
have rarely, if ever, been surpassed." 

'* Could the disaster which befell his party have been averted with the 
knowledge available at the time the relief expeditions were fitted out?" 

" Unquestionably ; and that is the pity of it. It doubles the grief which 
must be felt in the face of such a terrible catastrophe, to think that two ships 
on successive years, and probably a third, were in a position to land stores 
which would have saved the lives of those eighteen dead men. Beebe, in 1882, 
anchored in Payer Harbor, just north of Cape Sabine, with a shij) full of 
stores; Garlington, the next summer, ancliored in the same place also with a 
ship full of a'.ures; and a few days later the Yantic, with four months' provis- 
ions on board, was only thirty miles away. Any one of these three ships 
might have ia/ided stores enough exactly where Greely afterward made his 
winter camp, t.> have carried that brave party through ; but their commanding 
officers were not ordered to do so, and they did not think of it." 




Transfer of the bodies of u^o ciemJ liein^.^ iio.a l... ,,>^..u" u...» "" ^....... ' tu Govenior'a 

T^^l:l^.d, New York T-IarlMjr. 

Sftegi'c^affimg ber Seicfjeii bci to&tcn a^cIlumi noiu ,,'>'Bcav" mxh ber ,,3;(;etiS" iinrf) ©otjeriior'* 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 49 

** If Lieutenant (jarHtij^ton had landed stores on his way north at Littleton 
Island, in acconlance with what was known as his 'supplementary instruc- 
tions,' would such stores have been ot" any use to Lieutenant Greely ?" 

*' As it turned out, not the slightest. There were a few hundred rations on 
Littleton Island, but Greely could not get across the tossing ice of Smith's 
Sound to avail himself of them. The place to land stores, as pointed out by 
Dr. Hoadley, Mr. Merriam, and others, and as shown by the example of the 
J^ares expedition, was the western coast of the Sound — the coast that Greely 
nustcome down — not the opposite coast, which Greely might never reach. It 
18 to the caches made by the British ex])edition of 1875 on the western coast 
that the few survivors of Lieutenant Greely's party mainly owe their lives." 

*' How important are the discoveries made by Lieutenant Greely?" 

" From the point of view of an Arctic geographer, they are of first-class 
importance. Lieutenant Greely has not only taken away from Commander 
Mark ham, of the British navy, the blue ribbon of Arctic discovery for the 
highest latitude ever attained in any part of the world, but he has greatly ex- 
tended the limits of the Nares explorations, both in Greenland and Grinnel) 
Land, and has given a severe blow to Captain Nares' ' Palseocrystic Ice' and 
the theories which the latter founded upon it. The fact that two of Greely's 
sledge parties were stopped by open water in the polar basin, and that both 
were at times adrift in strong currents which threatened to carry them help- 
lessly away northward, would seem to show that the polar basin is not the solid 
sea of ancient immovable ice which Nares described, and which he declared 
was never navigable. Lieutenant Greely's explorations extended over three 
degrees of latitude, and nearly forty degrees of longitude. He has virtually 
ascertained the true outline of Grinnell Land ; has crossed from east to west 
and on the northern coast of Greenland ; has gone one degree of latitude and 
ten degrees of longitude beyond the furthest point reached by Captain Nares' 
accomplished sledging officer, Lieutenant Beaumont. These achievements 
alone reflect the highest credit upon Lieutenant Greely and his men ; but to 
them must, of course, l)e added the great massof scientific knowledge gathered 
by the party during their two years at Lady Franklin Bay, the records of 
which have fortunately been saved. When these observations shall have been 
collated and put in order they will, I think, be found not second in import- 
:\nce to any furnished by the circles of international polar stations." 

Dr. Bessells, Chief of the Scientific Staif of the Polaris, upon being asked 
what he thought of the work Greely had done, said : 

*' As to the real scientific work of the expedition we, as yet, know very 
little, but Greely probably followed his instructions and made all the observa- 
tions required by the international conference held at Hamburg. As one of 
the geographical features of the expedition we may mention that Lieutenant 
Lockwcod and Sergeant Brainard reached latitude 83 degrees 24 minutes 
north, getting about four miles north of the highest point reached by Captain 
Markham of the English expedition under Sir George Nares on May 12, 
1876. The highest point reached by the international station officer is appar- 
ently an island, which they have named after Lieutenant Lockwood. From 
an elevation of 2,000 feet they saw no land to the north, which j)roves that 
Greenland actually does not extend beyond the 84th parallel, as I have proved 
myself several years ago on theoretic grounds by means of tidal wave obser- 
vations. The tidal wave, following the east coast of Greetdand, passes along 
its northern border and enters Robeson Channel. Another point of geograjihi- 



60 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

cal interest is the fact that the expedition supposes that it actually sighted the 
west coast of Grinnell Land, running almost due south from the furtiiest point 
reached by Lieut. Aldrich in May, 1876." 

Here Dr. Besselis referred to tlie dis[)atches, and with compass and pencil, 
marked ou*^. the points referred to and sketched the hitherto unknown western 
border of Grant Land. Lake Hazen, Ruggles River, Weyprecht Fiord, Con- 
ger Mountains, and Mount Arthur, he said, were uewly discovered and newly 
named places. Continuing, Dr. Besselis said : 

*' That makes Grant Land a peninsula connected with Grinnell Land By an 
isthmus, as Boothia Felix is connected with the northernmost coast of the 
continent. Another point of geographical value is what they say about Hayes 
Sound — about tlie western extension of Hayes Sound — whiclj increases the 
distance of the latter from its mouth by twenty miles. When the Polaris ex- 
pedition, after having been shipwrecked, wintered near Etah, an Esquimaux 
settlement, they were informed by the natives that Hayes Sound was not land- 
locked, but that it connected with the western sea, thus making Grinnell Land 
an island. The English expedition under Sir George Nares, judging from 
the sluggishness of the tide, considered it a bay." 

Dr. Besselis criticised with some severity the judgment of General Hazen 
in the organization of the relief expeditions. Tlie first, he said, was placed in 
command of an intemperate man, and the second was under the control of a 
cavalry officer, who had never had any nautical experience, and whose orders 
were very vague. It would probably turn out. Dr. Besselis said that Greely 
had provisions enough to last a year at Lady Franklin Bay. 

With respect to Commander Schley's report of the condition of the ice in 
"Smith's Sound, Dr. Besselis said it was yet too early to form an opinion as to 
what the season would be. The ice never breaks up so early and it would be 
tolly to attempt to pass north before the middle of August. 

PROOFS OF CANNIBALISM. 

Ghastly Testimony from the Grave. 

The family of Lieutenant Kislingbury, one of the Arctic heroes, who was 
buried with military honors at Rochester, N. Y., having consented to investi- 
gation, the remains were exhumed by undertaker Jeft'reys. The work of 
opening the heavy iron receptacle was found to be comparatively easy, all 
there was to do being to unscrew the fifty-two iron bolts which held down the 
lid. The noiseless ease with which the latter was pried from its bed showed 
that there was an absence of gas, and it was feared that there might be no 
body in the casket at all. Between the cover and the contents of the coffin 
there was some rubber packing saturated with white lead, and white lead also 
surrounded the bolts and joints. Feeling his way into the mass of snowy 
cotton- waste which filled the coffin to the top, Mr. JelBPreys soon exclaimed: 
" He is there." A strong odor of alcohol, but no very pronounced suggestion 
of decay, emanated from the casket. 

THE CASKET 

was next placed upon the floor and the unshrouded form taken from it and 
placed upon the table. The sheet was taken away and the tarred rope which 
entwined the blanket cut, and the work of taking off this last covering began, 



THE grep:ly arctic expedition. st 

Slowly and reverentially the blanket was removed and then there was a Kiip- 
pressed ery of horror upon the lips of those present. The half-body, half- 
ekeloton remains lay outstretched in all their ghastly terror. The blackened, 
fleshless face, bearing marks of Arctic toil, had no resemblance to the dead 
man. The head was covered with long, matted, dark-brown hair and a lighter 
colored moustache cleaved to the upper lip, while a wool-like beard of the 
same color surrounded the lower portion of the countenance. The skin was 
dried to the skull. 

THE SKELETON 

was shrunken. There was little, if any, flesh on the arms and legs, and the 
body from the throat down was denuded of its skin. The feet were incased in 
bluish woollen socks and were emaciated, but almost intact. Upon the right 
side of the breast, between the ribs, appeared two gaj)ing wounds, which did 
not fail to inspire those present with a suspicion that poor Kislingbury might 
have been foully dealt with. 

The ))hysicians did not find any evidence of violence, and placed the body 
in its original position. Then the brothers were informed that the stomach and 
other internal organs were all present,and they were asked whether they desired 
the same to be opened in order to complete the examination and establish the 
cause of death. They answered that nothing should be left undone which 
could furnish proof upon tliat point. It was found that the intestines adhered 
to the sides of the abdomen, proving that there had been recent inflammation 
of the stomach and bowels. From the large intestine a ball of dark hair-liice 
substance w^is taken, showing that the last thing eaten by deceased in his starv- 
ing condition was probably portions of clothing or sealskin strips. 

As it had been reported by the survivors that Lieutenant Kislingl)ury had 
sustained a rupture by falling off an iceberg, an examination was made of the 
lower portion of the body, but no evidence whatever was found that anything 
of the kind had occurred. No internal evidence of any wounds was foi'.nd, 
and the conclusion reached was that the openings between the ribs on the 
right side of the breast were caused by the knives of those who stripped 
the body of its flesh and skin to still the terrible cravings of long-aggra- 
vated hunger. Lieutenant Kislingbury had died of starvation and disease, 
and his comrades had eaten his body, like those of others who had died 
before and after him. 

His brother, J. P. Kislingbury, said "Dr. Buckley will take measures to 
ascertain whether he had subsisted on human flesh before he died." 

W. H. Kislingbury, the other brother of the deceased officer, outlined the 
(^ondition of things, which would lead to the belief that the Greely expedition 
was divided into two parties or factions, and one ])erished because the other 
had gained possession, by force, of the supply of food. In this ostracized party 
were Lieutenant Kislingbury and Dr. Pavy. The condition of Lieutenant 
Kislingbury's body shows that he died of starvation at a time when the others 
had some food supply. There was absolutely nothing in the stomach, and in 
the intestines was a lump of indigestible material. There were no indications 
of rupture, and the story that he injured himself was discredited. 

In the opinion of Mr. Kislingi)ury, Dr. Pavy saw in advance the outcome 
of the desperate struggle for subsistence, and ended his life or fell a victim to 
the desperation of the immediate adherents of Greely. In other words, it was 
(1 rase in wiiicli those not in favor with the commander were compelled to die 



mmaaa^ 



52 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

that the others might live. Lieutenant Kislingbury, it seems, was tmdsi* ttjt 
ban of Greely's displeasure from the beginning. This is the statement of W, 
H. Kislingbury. 

The family was of course very much shocked at the condition of Kisiing- 
bury's body, and they were all loud in their demands for a thorough official 
investigation. They do not blame the survivors, for they can readily see that 
in some cases the eating of dead bodies is a necessity, but they are loud in 
their denunciations of the officials who sought to keep the matter from public 
knowledge. 

[Note. — ^The Publishers of this book give the suspicions of the Kislingbury 
family for what they are worth and without further comment.] 

LIFE OP LIEUTENANT GREELY, U.S.A. 

Lieutenant Adolphus W. Greely, a man whose name now stands promi- 
nently before the world as the leader of the expedition which has penetrated 
farther north than any other exploration party, was born in 1844, at New- 
buryport, Massachusetts, and consequently was at the time of his rescue (1884) 
just forty years of age. 

He entered the army during the war as a private. On March 18th, 1863, 
he was made second lieutenant, and in April the following year he became 
first lieutenant. He was brevetted major March 13th, 1865, for "faithful 
and meritorious service." He was made captain of the Eighty-first Colored 
Infantry. April 4th, 1865, and in March, 1867, was honorably mustered 
out. Upon the reorganization, in 1869, he was assigned to the Fifth Cavalry, 
and became firet lieutenant in 1873, which is his present rank. He is one of 
the oldest officers in the signal service, having become one of its officers when 
the bureau was formed. He is tall and slender, and apparently a man who 
could never survive the hardships of an Arctic expedition. He has a wife 
and two children. Lieutenant Greely was in his right place at the Signal 
Service Bureau, wliere his studious habits and intelligence were well appre- 
ciated and led to his selection for the dangerous but honorable command of 
the Arctic Expedition. 

Although the Lieutenant gives in the earlier pages of this work an account 
of the origin of the expedition, his modesty caused him to omit mention of 
^iimself as far as possible — the omission of the personal pronoun I is char- 
.acteristic of the man. Therefore we give another account, which comes 
from those best in a position to award bravery, deep study, and perseverance 
their just dues, as shown in this man's wonderful composition. 

The expedition was a part of the plan adopted by the International Geo- 
graphical Congress at Hamburg, in 1879, for the establishment of a series of 
circumpolar stations for scientific observations. On March 3, 1881, Congress 
passed a bill providing an appropriation for the support of observations and 
explorations in the Arctic seas, on or near the shores of Lady Franklin Bay. 
Lieutenant Greely was appointed to take command, and the point selected for 
the station was the most northerly and difficult of access of the whole series of 
stations projected by the Geographical Congress. The spot chosen was Dis- 
covery Harbor, latitude 81° 44' north and longitude 64° 45' west. Lieutenant 
Greely received his instructions in April, 1881. He and the other officers and 
men of the expedition were to go to St. John, Newfoundland, and charter a 
steam whaler or sealer to take the party to Lady Franklin Bay. Lieutenant 



THE (iREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 53 

Greely went immediately to St. John, and there ciiartered the screw steamer 
Proteus, a ves-sel that had been previously in use for Arctic, navigation. His 
assistant, Lieutenant James B. Lockwood, with fifteen men sailed from Balti- 
more for St. Johns on June 14, 1881. The Proteus sailed for Lady Franklin 
Ray on July -1th. One month iaier the party entered camp at that point, and 
tiie Proteus returned to St. John, bringing a cheerful letter from Lieutenant 
Greely, announcing that the party had settled at Discovery Harbor, ai)d were 
all well. From that time, August 18, 1881, to July 17, 1884, no news was 
received from the expedition. 

It was understood before Greely sailed that every year a steamer would be 
sent to him with fresh supplies and with recruits to take the place of the sick 
men in his jiarty. In 1882, accordingly, the steamship Neptune was fitted 
out and placed in charge of Mr. M. W. Beebe. She sailed from St. Johns on 
July 8, 1882. On July 28th she passed the Carey Islands. On the 29th she 
passed Littleton Island, but encountered a barrier of ice that checked furthur 
progress. She made another effort a week later to reach the party, and suc- 
ceeded in getting witliin one hundred and fifty miles of their camp; but the 
ice did not open, and accordingly caches were established on Cape Sabine and 
Littleton Island, and the Neptune returned to St. Johns, Newfoundland. The 
failure to reach Greely caused much disappointment, but no appreliension as 
to his safety. 

In 1883 Lieutenant E. A. Garlington, of the Seventh Cavalry, was 
selected to command the second relief expedition. He saile<i from St. Johns, 
Newfoundland, on June 29th, in the steamer Proteus, the ship that landed 
Greely at Lady Franklin Bay two years before. He was followed by the 
United States Steamer Yantic, which was to serve as a supply ship. The Pro- 
teus reached Pandora Harbor on July 22d. No ice was visible to the north, 
and Payer Harbor, near Cape Sabine, was entered the same afternooo. After 
a very short stop the ship proceeded until within four miles of Cape Albert, 
where the ice prevented further progress. 

Garlington, against the wishes of Captain Pike, determined to make aa 
effort to push through the pack. Soon after entering it the vessel was terribly 
nipped and the ice began to crush through her sides. The ship settled slowly, 
hung for a moment on the ice, and then sank out of s^.ght, her yards catching 
on the ice floe on both sides, and breaking in two as she went down. Some 
of the stores that had been thrown upon the ice were landed at Cape Sabine. 
The party reached Upernavik in rowboats, and there boarded the Yantic. 

The failure created a decided feeling of alarm for the safety of Lieutenant 
Greely. Congress voted am))le funds to enable the Navy Department to fit 
out a third expedition. The Bear, a steam sealer, was purchased in Newfound- 
land, and the Thetis, a steam whaler, in Dundee, Scotland. The British Gov- 
ernment presented the steamer Alert, and another vessel, the Loch Garry, was 
chartered as a collier. The expedition was placed under the command of 
Commander W. S. Schley, of the United States Navy. The Bear, corn- 
mantled by Lieutenant Emory, sailed on April 24th. The flagship Thetis fol- 
lowed a week after, and soon after the other ships sailed. The expedition cost 
upward of $1,000,000. 

The rescue party had a continuous battle with ice, forcing their way by 
ramming and the use of torpedoes until June 18th, when they entered clear 
water off Cape York. Being then in a position in which information of 
(iicrlv might be looked for, parties weye at once sent to scour the adjacent hills 
1' ;• records. 



54 thp: (jp.eely arctic expedition. 

In about an hour a cheer was heard, but in the high wind that was blowing 
it WHS impossible to locate the direction from which it came. Soon after a 
Foaman came running toward the ship shouting, " We have found the Greelj 
party ! " Coming on board he brought records, which had been found bv 
Lieutenant Taunt on the top of Brevoort Island. They were dated October 
21, 1883, signed by Lieutenant Greely, and contained the news of the retreat 
from Fort Conger, the arrival of the party at Bird Inlet all well, the location 
••of Camp Clay, and stated briefly the quatitity of provisions available. The 
•^enei'al recall was hoisted on board both ships, the whistles sounded to attract 
'attention to it, and the Bear's steam launcih, which had been lowered to assist 
in the search along the coast, .was iinmediately sent, in charge of Lieuteniint 
Colwell, to the scene of the encampment. Shortly after this Ensign Harlow 
signalled from shore, " I have found the Greely record. Send five men." He 
had discovered a record, dated October 23d, signed by Lockwood, and a cache, 
which contained the scientific pa[>er8 and instruments. 

The rescuers were soon at the spot indicated and there witnessed a pitiful 
sight. The scene is thus described : 

"Some one was seen on the ice signalling with flags. Colwell ran forward 
and took the message as follows: 'Send doctor with stretchers and Harlow 
with photograph machine; seven alive.' When it came to the last two words 
I made him repeat them. With what careful interest I watched them no one 
can realize. It might be D-E-A-D, but no ; A-L-I-V-E waved plainly 
through the air, and the fate of the Greely party was known on board the 
Thetis. Boats were lowered at once, manned with strong crews, and a party 
of officers and men started for the shore." 

" Passing a small fire on which pots of milk were warming we came to the 
feiit, under which lay four of the poor fellows. Two lay outside, one with 
!iis face swollen so that he could barely show by his eyes the wild excitement 
that filled his being. The other was muttering in a voice that could scarcely 
be heard in the howling of the gale his hungry appeal for food. Pushing 
aside the fl^ags of the tent we saw a sight, the like of which we trust never to 
see again. Crowded together in the little of the tent that was left standing 
lay Greely and three of his men in their sleeping bags, their faces black with 
dirt. Their hollow cheeks and their gleaming eyes made a picture that we 
■ivill never forget, and told a story that has but few rivals in the histories of 
■-jniserable sufferings. The short glance revealed four men with the hand of 
death laid upon them ; one, indeed, was gasping his last feeble breath while 
food and stimulants were forced between his teeth. The death of the other 
three would have occurred, but for the arrival of relief, in a very few hours. 
They could not move, and the gale was killing them in their weak and ex- 
hausted condition. So there they lay, waiting for death, unable to cook the 
pitiful ration of tanned oil, sealskin and lichens that they called their meal. 

" Our glance was a short one. They were placed on litters and carried on 
board J their rags were removed, and they were tenderly warmed and fed." 
One of the survivors, however, was past saving, and in spite of all that could 
be done for him he died on board the ship. Another party was sent to the 
camp to bring away the bodies of the dead. Twelve only were found, the 
other five having been swept away by the waves, owing to their having been 
buried near the surface. The survivors were too weak to dig a deep grave." 

When they were sufficiently recovered, the survivors told their sad storjr. 
The most graphic version is that given by Sergeant Brainerd. 




Arrival of the Arctic Heroes at Portsmouth, N. H. Extremely touching ir.eetiug, after tiie 

long separation, between Lieutenant Greely and his loving wife. 

Slufuuft ber arftiid)eii C)elCieii in $tHt?inoiit(), 5L C>- 9?iil)reiibcf 2Bie?n-Kl)cii ^e^ S?iciitcnniit$ 

(Sreelo uiib feiiier fleliebten ©attiii luici) Iaiu]er Jrcnnuufl. 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 57 

"On landing," said Sergeant Brainerd, "we named our station 'Fort 
C/onger/ in iionor of Senator Conger. Observations meteorological, mag- 
netic, tidal, astronomical, and other observations were begun at once, the first 
and third being taken hourly. A house was completed, and the party moved in 
during the first week in September! f'rom this time we were employed during 
the remainder of the autumn in laying out depots and extending our knowledge 
of the country by interior explorations. Twenty musk oxen and a few ducks 
were shot soon after landing. Darkness began to creep upon us in the middb? 
of October, thougii it was not until the latter part of December that it wa.^ 
finally uj)on us for the whole twenty-four hours. Winter amusements wen* 
then inaugurated, comprising debates, lectures, the publication of a newspaper, 
musical entertainments, etc. Each day was a counterpart of the one preceding 
it. Rules for health and exercise were prescribed and strictly enforced. They 
were, undoubtedly, of great benefit to us, especially the regulation insuring 
dryness of bunks and personal cleaidiness. No scurvy or any other serious 
diseiuse occurred during the two years' residence at Fort Conger. 

" Christmas and New Year's Day were celebrated much the same as those 
days usually are in the Arctic regions, with games, good feeling, and sumptu- 
ous dinners. The thanks of the expedition are due to Mrs. Greely, the wife 
of the commander, for the crowning feature of the Christmas dinner — a superb 
plum pudding. Other friends had also remembered the party in a most sub- 
stantial manner, as the abundance of coufectionery and the other gifts would 
testify." r^'-'''"' 

On January 16th they were visited by a terrific gale, which swept every- 
thing before it, stopping all observations for several hours, and confining the 
party to the house. It attained a velocity of seventy-five miles an hour, 
twisting the anemometer cups from their spindles and blowing them away. 
In the latter part of February an expedition was sent to examine the state of 
the ice in Rol^eson Channel. The report was favorable. On March 1st an- 
other party visited Hall's Rest, Thank God Harbor, and reached their desti- 
nation on the evening of the third day, very tired, cold, and depressed, but 
were speedily restored under the genial influence of a thimbleful of the Eng- 
lish red-heart, which by chance was discovered in one of their old rum casks. 
Although staunch advocates of the blue ribbon, this was an occasion when all 
felt that this course was not only justifiable, but that the case demanded some 
departure from the usual routine. . 

On April 3d Lieutenant Lock wood. Sergeant Brainerd, and the native 
driver Fred, with a team of eight dogs and a supporting party of six men, 
with Hudson Bay sledges, left the station to extend the exploration of the 
English expedition on the north coast of Greenland. Advancing all their 
supplies to the Polaris boat camp in Newman's Bay, they made their formal 
start on April 16th, crossing Brevoort Peninsula by the already historical Gap 
Valley. On April 29th the supporting party was turned back from Cape 
Bryant, and the little band of three men, with their dog team and provisions 
for twenty-five days, turned their faces resolutely toward the north, with the 
intention of doing all that lay in the power of man to do. The morning of 
May 5th saw them at Cape Britannia, and they unfurled the American flag 
over 

AN UNEXPLORED LAND. 
Before them all was new. They were passing up a coast which trended to 



58 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

the northeast, and which before had never met the vision of civih'zed man. 
Their progress was greatly retarded by a severe storm, lasting for seven days ; 
but they struggled along through the thick atmosphere and driving storms 
day after day, surmounting all difficulties that opposed them. Finally, how- 
ever, while groping their way across a wide fiord, all traces of the coast were 
obliterated by the heavy drift, necessitating a delay of over sixty hours to Hvei 
shelter. In order to economize their provisions as much as possible they 
partook of only one meal every twenty-four hours. On May 13th the weary 
party had advanced as far as the state of their provisions would adroit, anH 
now stood on land at a higher northern latitude than was ever before reached 
by mortal mati. For 275 years brave navigators had kept England's flag 
advanced beyond that of any other nation, but now the Stars and Stripes 
floated proudly in the chilling breezes at a higher point than the Union Jack 
had ever reached, in latitude 83 degrees 24 minutes north, longitude 40 de 
grees 46 minutes west. 

After remaining at this point for two days, in order to obtain satisfactory 
observations for their position, the party began their return on tlie evening of 
May 15th, reaching Fort Conger on June 1st, after an absence of fifty-nine 
days. The farthest point reached was named Lock wood Island, and an ad- 
jacent island was called after Sergeant Bra i nerd, in honor of the two men who 
had advanced the Stars and Stripes to a point nearer the po1(= thau any of 
their predecessors have ever reached. 

EXPLORING GRINNELL LAND. 

During the year 1882 Lieutenant Greely made two remarkable trips into 
the interior of Grinnell Land, making important discoveries, which not only 
added to their geographical knowledge, but also revealed physical conditions 
of the country hitherto unsuspected. His first trip was made in April with 
three men and Hudson Bay sledges. He was absent only eleven days, and 
travelled 250 miles, advancing into the interior by Conybeare Bay. 

His second trip of sixteen days was made in June and July. Only one 
companion. Sergeant Lynn, accompanied him. They carried packs during tht 
greater part of the trip, the maximum weight being ninety pounds each. They 
travelled about fifty miles beyond the turning point of his former trips, dis- 
covering the Garfield and Conger range of mountains. Mount Chester A. 
Arthur, and several lakes and rivers. Lieutenant Greely ascended Mount 
Arthur 5000 feet, and was satisfied from the trend of the mountains that 
Grinnell Land, from Lieutenant Aldrich's furthest in 1876, extended due south. 
Although in the midst of the short Arctic summer, the sufferings and hardships 
endured by Lieutenant Greely and Sergeant Lynn were of such a character as 
to deter them from repeating the experiment at any later period. 

Their sufferings on this trip stand out conspicuously as among the most 
trying in the annals of Arctic travelling. 

PREPARING FOR A RETREAT. 

The second winter's routine was almost a repetition of the first. During this 
year, as previously, all birthdays and festivals were celebrated by fine dinners 
and varied amusements. The sanitary rules were, if anything, more rigidly 
enforced than formerly. In addition to his other duties, which occupied his 
time for about eight hours daily, Lieutenant Greely conducted an evening 



THE GREKLY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. r>9 

school for thoso who desired to attend. On Febrnaryl, 1883, twenty-six days 
before the return of the sun, Sergeant Brainerd was sent toward Cape Baird 
with a dog-team to establish a depot of provisions for the retreat in boats, in 
the event of a ship not arriving. The depot was suj)plemented by other loads 
during the following months, and a preliminary trip was made to Cape 
Summer, Newman Bay, starting on March 10th. Lieutenant Lockwood, 
Sergeant Brainerd, Jewell and Ellison, with the two native drivers, composed 
the j)arty. A large cache of provisions placed at Cape Summer was the result 
A)f tins trip. The same party, excepting Ellison, made their final start from 
Fort Conger on March 27th, with an excellent equipment, intending to travel 
northeast along the Greenland coast, and extend their discoveries of the pre- 
vious year. In this they were fated to be disappointed. Six days of rapid 
travel brought thera to Black Horn Cliffs, when their further progress was 
barred by a lane of water fifty yards wide extending along the coast. The in- 
terior of the country was thoroughly explored, but no practicable route for 
sledging was found. 

THE PERILOUS JOURNEY. 

The ice began breaking up early in August under the influence of high 
southerly gales. On the 9th of that month a lane had formed across Archer's 
Fiord opposite the western entrance. Taking advantage of it the party ran 
across to Cape Baird with the Lady Greely, having in tow the Valorous and 
Narwhal. At this point the iceboat Beaumont and depot of provisions were 
taken, and the party assigned to boats. Leaving this place at midnight the 
boats passed around Cape Reiber, taking on the forty-eight rations of corned 
beef at Cape Cracroft. The depots at Carl Ritter Bay and Cape Collinsoa 
were taken. That at Collinson was found deficient of a barrel of bread, a 
keg^of rum, a keg of alcohol, and all small stores — tea, sugar, potatoes, etc. 
About fifteen miles north of Cape Lawrence they were frozen in the ice for 
five days, but a northwest gale liberated the boats, and at the same time opened 
a lane for escape. After many trials, hardships, and narrow escapes from being 
crushed by the moving pack, the party reached Cape Hawkes on August 
26tli. Two of the party's boats, the Lady Greely and the Valorous, were 
abandoned on September 10th near Cape Camperdown, the party retreating 
ver the floes toward land with their two remaining boats and provisions. 
They advanced at the rate of one mile per day, it being necessary to make 
four trips. Their only sledge having received a severe strain, it became neces- 
sary to abandon the boat Narwhal in order to save it, the loss of which would 
have been a fatal blow to the party. Twice the land seemed within their 
grasp, but both times they were driven back into Kane's Sea by southerly 
gales. 

STARVING AND FREEZING. 

During a northwest gale the ice floe was caught among the grounded ice- 
bergs in Baird Inlet, and the party escaped to shore on the north side of the 
inlet on September 29th. They at once began the erection of winter-quarters, 
it being impracticable to cross to Greenland with the single boat and the 
channel full of rapidly drifting ice. Later the party established themselves at 
Camp Clay, four miles northwest of Cape Sabine, near the Proteus wreck 
cache. On November 1st their ratiohs were reduced to eleven from thirteen 



t 



60 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

ounces. For a month previous to this they had been on half rations. By this 
date the caches were all collected, a careful inventory made, and their calcula- 
tions made to extend thera until March 1st at the established rations, leaving 
ten days on a slightly increased scale, to enable them to cross Smith's Sound to 
Littleton Island. 

A miserable hovel had been constructed in October, twenty-two by twenty- 
five feet, covered with canvas, and into this the party crowded. Their sleep- 
ing bags were spread on the ground and became frozen down, so that it was 
impossible to move them. The frost penetrated to the interior of the bags, 
causing the party much suffering. A small pair of scales were made, and the 
work of issuing provisions was turned over to Sergeant Brainerd by the com- 
manding officer. Rice, Lynn, Ellison, and Frederick were sent to Cape Isa- 
bella on November 1st to secure the 144 pounds of English meat. Ellison was 
badly frost-bitten during a severe gale, in a temperature of 30° below zero. 
He was brought in on the 12th of November. His feet were removed in 
February, and his fingers had also to be removed. The minimum tempera- 
ture in January was 50° below zero. High gales prevailed all winter, 
preventing the Sound from closing. 

The party now had to depend on their own resources for food. A few 
donkeys, ptarmigans, and foxes were shot in March, and a small bear and seal 
in April. The amount of meat furnished by all was very small. 

The fatal blow to the party occurred on April 30th, by the drowning of 
their remaining native, Joens, and the loss of his kyack and best rifle. With- 
out the kyack no hope for seals could be entertained. Rice and Fredericks 
volunteered to go to Baird Inlet to secure the English meatabaiuloned by them 
the previous autumn, when Ellison was frozen. Starting on April 6th they 
took seven days j)rovisions, at the rate of about twelve ounces of food daily to 
each. They encountered terrific gales, and in one of them on the fourth day 
Rice died from exposure and exhaustion in Baird Inlet. He was buried in 
the ice by his companion, who himself narrowly escaped death. Words can- 
not convey the feelings of gratitude to those brave men for their daring efforJs 
to succor their companions. Before the departure of Rice he had cauglit a 
few shrimps with nets, using donkey skins for bait. Sergeant Brainerd ade; - 
ward became the shrimper, and continued in service until the last of the lair 
was used, a few days before the arrival of the relief ships. These mar; r.c 
animals were very small, there being about 800 to the ounce. By some they 
are known as sea flies. They possess very little or no nutriment, as thedeaths 
in the party will testify. Sea-weed was also used in small quantities until the 
fisherman was too weak to get more. The last provisions were issued on May 
^ 12th, and from that date the party subsisted on lichens, moss, saxifrage, seal- 
skin, both boiled and roasted, and a little tea, until the arrival of the relief 
ships. 

RESCUED NONE TOO SOON. 

When rescued, a southerly gale had been blowing for over sixty hours. Thq 
tents were blown down, and their weight were resting on the party, who were 
endeavoring to shelter themselves in tiieir bags. For twenty-four hours they 
had eaten nothing, and their strength was passing rapidly. Connell would 
most likely have died in a few hours, and the strongest of the survivors would 
not have been alive in three days more. 



THE GREELY ARCmC EXPEDITION. 61 

The results of the expedition arc thus summarizc<l : 

The Greely party, up to the day its struggle tor lite began at Cape Sabine, 
will bo ranUed by Arctic enthusiasts as one of the most bnlliantiy successful 
of Arctic expeditions. Geographers had hoped for great things from it. Ik 
took north a better outfit, especially for sledge travelling, than any preceding 
ex{)edition. It was believed that, if circumstances were not greatly adverse, 
it would not fail to extend our knowledge of the shores that bound the great 
sea north of Grant Land. But the most sanguine geographers did not venture 
to hope that Greely would bring back with him the large amount of material 
he has gathered for completing the map of that part of the polar b;isin. 

In a latitude where one season sufficed to wear otit Nares' two ships' crews 
with scurvy, Greely's little band passetl two years with health and vigor, that 
were impaired neither by Arctic nights one hundred and forty days long, nor 
by the terrible toils of the spring and summer travelling. In a latitude where 
Hall's boats and sledges advanced less than forty miles north of his winter 
quarters, Lockwood dragged his sledge about two hundred miles northeixst of 
Discovery Harbor, four miles north of the highest latitude previously attained, 
and eighty miles further than the point reached by Beaumont on the same 
route. Dr. Pavy and Lieutenant Lockwood proved that Lincoln Sea during 
two successive seasons was full of floating ice, instead of being the perpetually 
frozen ocean that Nares described. Greely and Lockwood, in their journeys 
into Grinnell Land, virtually outlined its western shores for two degress of 
latitude, proving that Grant Land is a peninsula connected with Grinnell Land 
by an isthmus. 

But, after all, Greely's greatest achievement was his journey nearly two hun- 
dred and fifty miles down Smith's Sound, at a time of year when successful 
sledge and boat exj)editions have never before been made in that terribly diffi- 
cult channel. Most geographers believed that the advancing darkness of Sep- 
tember, its wild storms, and the crashing and jumbling of the Smith's Sound 
ice floes, made it practically impossible for Greely to reach Cape Sabine in the 
fall. He triumphed, however, over nature, only to be nearly defeated at last 
by the inexcusable negligence of man. 

Greely had plenty of food with him at Lady Franklin Bay, but he was 
ordered to retreat from there in the fall of 1883 if not relieved before. It 
was well understood that in such a retreat he could not carry provisions with 
him ; the Government therefore promised to deposit stores of provisions on his 
route. They failed to do so, and the horrors of Cape Sabine and the death of 
seventeen men are the direct results of their deplorable incapacity. Lieuten- 
ant Greely and the survivors would have died also, if Senator Ingalls and his 
supporters had succeeded in the elForts they made to delay the relief exj>edi- 
tion. 

CRAZED BY STARVATION. 

More of the Secrets of the Camp on Smith's Sound. 

Among the many sensational reports given to the public, some have been 
verified whilst others will be investigated. The New York Times was con- 
spicuous in this respect. We here give an extract from that paper: 

" Until the death of Surgeon Pavy, of the Greely party, which occurred at 
the rapidly depopulated camp on June 6, three weeks before rescue came, the 
flesh cut from most of the dead bodies for use by the survivors as food and 



62 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

bait was removed by a hand skilled in dissection. A few of the bodies had 
the fleshy portions cut away entire. But with the majority the work had been 
so well done that a casual observer would not have suspected without further 
evidence, of which there was plenty, however, that the survivors had been re- 
duced to cannibalism, and had for a long time been subsisting principally on 
ti)e bodies of their dead comrades. It is not a coincidence that the body of 
Dr. Pavy, with those of two others who died after him, should be reported as 
washed away. With the Surgeon gone the scalpel could not be used. Before, 
the bodies had been left with little mark of the terrible work done. After his 
death the survivors were forced to dismember the bodies and denude them of 
flesh in a way that left nothing but bones. So these unfortunates were 
reported as buried in the ice floe and washed away, and to the list was added 
Corj)oral Sailor, who died on June 3, and Sergeant Rice, who died on April 9. 

" On most of the bodies an incision was made from the clavicle downward 
below the ribs. The scalpel was then passed along under the skin, and the flap 
was carefully laid back on either side. The flesh was then removed from the 
ribs, the skin carefully joined so that there was no external evidence left of 
the ghastly work but a dark line. The thighs were treated in the same manner, 
the skin being replaced about the fleshless bones. The legs were stripped to 
the ankle joints and the arms to the wrists. The hands, feet and face were not 
mutilated. This was a work requiring skill, and must have been a long and 
careful operation. No one in the party except the Surgeon could so skilfully 
remove the flesh from a human body and leave the skin intact. How Dr. 
Pavy met his death has not been explained, but it was probably by the knife. 
With him gone, and every day the pangs of hunger growing more unbear- 
able, the caution was relaxed, and the survivors ate of human flesh however 
they could easiest secure it. 

" In the last days before relief came to the wretched men, it was the doctrine 
of the survival of the strongest that ruled. All sense of honor and of feeling 
had been lost. It was Sergeant Long who first saw the steam launch, and slid 
down the snow and ice to greet the rescuing party. His face and beard were 
covered with blood from a duck which he had recently shot and had been 
eating raw. It is stated that he stopped to conceal half the body of the bird 
before sliding down the snow. He was the strongest of the party, and, despite 
the frightful gale, was able to walk to the launch. Sergeant Fredericks also 
had considerable strength left, and clambered on board the Thetis almost un- 
aided. After so many months in the desolate Arctic regions, after so much 
suffering, and passing through such scenes of horror, it was seldom that the 
men stood upright. They crawled about on their hands and knees over the 
rocks and ice, and when Sergeant Brainerd was undressed on board the Thetis, 
his knees were found calloused to a thickness of over half an inch. In the 
midst of such horrors it was wondered by the rescuing party how Greely audi 
his fevv companions kept their reason. About the camp were scattered bones 
of the dead, and dissected and mutilated bodies were half exposed in the little 
burial plot back of the tent. It was a scene at which the rescuers shuddered 
as tliey looked and the truth stood revealed." 




' Into tills en ve we were now fatally niakiiiij our way ! " 
,3ii biefcu 9ltn]riini> fii()rte mm uiifcrc c^eiiiliriiilf -^it'iie " 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 65 

THE BODIES. 

The bodies of those who died natural (ieaths were not mutilated where death 
had been caused by disease. As to how many died of scurvy accounts (iitlor, 
Commander ISchley reported seventeen as having died from starvation. Ser- 
geant Cross, the tii-st of the exploring party to die, passeil away New-YcarV 
day, according to Commander Schley's report. He did not die of starvation, 
but from the use of liquor. He would drink anything that had a suspicion 
of alcohol about it, even paint. This love for liquor was so strong among 
some of the sailors of the relief party that the carpenter, using a little alcohol 
M'ith which to mix shellac, was oljliged to guard it as a miser hides away hia 
money. Sergeant Connell, one of the rescued, says that Cross died of scurvy 
on January 18. At St. John's it was reported that one of the two men losb 
on April 9 died of scurvy. With several dead of scurvy and Henry shot, all 
did not die of starvation. Instead, it is feared that others met death as Henry 
did. It is known that court-martials were of frequent occurrence in the Greely 
camp. Dr. Pavy was on trial no less than three times. There were dissen- 
sions among the men, and as their condition grew more desperate these 
increased. Until weakened in body and mind by privation each did all ho 
could for the others. But at the last the struggle for life became single. It 
was each man for himself. 

The officers of the relief vessels still refuse to say anything on the unpleasanf 
subject, as is their duty. Sailors talk freely. But some of the scenes they 
describe are too revolting for re})etition. At the Greely camp matters wcu'o 
found in as bad a condition as it is possible to imagine. The disinterment of 
the remains of Lieutenant Kislingbury has shown only what could be revealed 
by the opening of any of the other iron coffins. Where only scattered bones 
were left no attempt was made to put them together, except in the casket 
marked Private Henry. 

GREELY'S UNEASY DOGS. 

THE UNSOCIABLE CANINES OF THE COLONY. 

Four or five Esquimau dogs brought back by the officers lay on the quarter 
deck, lolling and wearing a look of abject homesickness. They are uneasy 
and wholly unsociable. They move about from one resting place to another, 
sometiujcs stretching out in the hot sun and again crouching in the shadiest 
places they can find. No chirru])ing or overture of welcome rec.xlls them 
from brooding over their wonted ice fields. The common white stnbhv, 
snap()ing Spitz dog of civilized society is a degenerate beast compared with 
these specimens. The latter have the erect ears and wolfish look of our treach- 
erous pets, but they have also dignity, muscle and generally a l)usiness-lik6 
appearance. Their covering has a base as thick as the wool on Merino sheep, 
but this is hidden by a semi-shaggy exterior of hair, the whole being of a 
yellowish brindle. They stand 18 inches high, and have a body long enough 
in proportion to constitute a shapely, don't-meddle-with-me sort of dog. A 
large number of them were taken aboard the Thetis and Bear on the way 
north, to be used for sledging in case of necessity. The officers who saw them 
at work say they are now able to understand how indispensable these creatures 
are to the natives of the north. They are at their best when harnessed to the 
sleds. When oiF duty they quarrel among themselves and are not over toler- 
ant of familiarity on the part of their masters. They appear to be a purely 
5 



56 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

business dog. All they ask of mankind is to drive them and feed thera. All 
internal affairs of their dog life they prefer to regulate themselves. In cheer- 
ful contrast with the Esquimaux on the quarter-deck there was a pure repre- 
sentative of Newfoundland dogs, the property of one of the officers. " He's 
worth a hundred dollars," said a sailor. When first seen by the writer he was 
lying at full length, with his eyes closed and his toes twitching, on the shady 
side of the companion-way, less distressed by the heat than the Esquimaux, 
hut, like thera, wearing a sad countenance from dreaming of the fog banks at 
luirae. "He knows how to cool off, when he gets warm," said the sailor. 
" He'd jump overboard now if I'd cast over this stick. Here Jack," said he 
to the (log, picking up the stick. The Newfoundland sprang to his feet and 
his whole look changed in a twinkling from sadness to the brightest and 
laughingest countenance a dog ever wore» His great black eyes fairly beamed 
with friendship and frolic. As dogs go, he stood up worth more than a hundred 
dollars. He had long, glossy hair, tipped in places with white, and was the 
picture of animal grace. He challenged the sailor to throw the stick r)ver- 
board, but the latter said : " I don't dare do it. He belongs to an officer." 
He said, however, that the dog "made no bones" of jumping overboard into 
the sea whenever he felt like it. They had to help him up the side of the 
ship a good many times. 

The Bear had been a good deal of a dog-kennel on the trip. When coming 
back with the Greely party the Esquimau dogs she had taken aboard going 
V ere given away to natives and others in the far north, it not being deemed 
humane to bring so many of them to these lower latitudes. While on board 
tie Bear I was attracted to the lieutenant-commander's cabin by a plaintive 
cry like that of a baby that will not be comforted. Lieutenant Col well was 
there found dividing his attention between entertaining half a dozen ladies 
with crackers and water and trying to soothe an Esquimau pup that wns kick- 
ing about on the floor as if in the middle stages of fatal colic. No gentle 
device of the lieutenant nurse could persuade the distressed creature to give 
the ship surcease from its wails. "It will not live long," said the lieutenant. 
"' It is the last of a family of ten that were born on board three weeks ago. 
We did everything we could to nourish them, but they died one after another 
in the same condition of despondency this one manifests. They seem to inherit 
the homesickness of their mother." 

A SAILOR'S DIARY. 

Among some startling scraps of documentary evidence brought to light, and 
which has not yet been given to the general public, are some scraps of paper 
which are evidently parts of a diary started and discontinued by a sailor who 
died long before the arrival of the rescuing party. It is a disconnected story 
that these odd pages tell, but enough remains to be of great interest to the 
reader. At great expense we have been permitted to make copies of the 
originals. Were this book a romance, the writer could weave such a tale as 
would surely pale all previous efforts of the great authors. But we are deal- 
ing with facts; pure, unadulterated facts. The sailor who evidently started to 
keep this diary was one known on board the ship as "Scotty." Undoubtedly 
he commenced it sometime in 1883. 

''Nov. 5th. — Our sufferings continue, but I, am still in fair health — much 
better health than my companions, if I except Dr. Pavy, who alone seems best 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 67 

to bear our hardsliips. Shall I ever see my home again? I doubt it. Oli, 
mother, my little sisters clear, how my love goes out towards you. I sink, I 
almost fall by the ice-side way. But I must brace up ; this won't do. If" we 
are doomed never to meet again I pray thoe, O God, that these lines may meet 
the eyes of the loved ones. The icy hand of death has no terrors for us, for 
all is Ice, Ice, here. There it goes ! I suppose that's a sort of joke, but it's 
a grim one. I found a wonderful thing, which was cast up by the clashing of 
icebergs evidently. It resembles a bright jew — " 

Here the page is torn. One to read just so far and no farther, inight, judg- 
ing from wiuit "Scotty "calls a "grim joke," conclude that a "bright jew — "was 
another effort in the funny line, but here is almost a full explanation, which 
we find on a page dated five days after the first one. 

*'Nov. 10th. — I am almost crazed with my discovery — it means great fortune, 
great wealth for me and mine, if I ever succeed in reaching ray native land 
again. Beyond all doubt these are jewels of rare value. Pure as a polished 
diamond, and outweighing, when their size is compared, the heaviest of that 
precious stone, these far surpass in brilliancy all that the imagination can con- 
ceive. Think of all the beautiful stones you have ever seen ; concentrate your 
mind on rsbies, pearls, garnets, emeralds, the amethyst, the purest of coral, 
and the brightest s})arkle of the rarest diamond ; add to all this the prettiest 
rainbow you ever saw, and still ray description must utterly fail to give you 
the fairest idea of my 'find,' my gorgeous jewels, for are they not mine? 
Mine by right of discovery ! This will craze me ; I dare not allow my mind 
too long to dwell on this subject. Weak and faint for want of suflBcient food, 
yet this one thought of vast wealth nerves me, strengthens the body as by the 
flush, the heat of fever ; yet the mind weakens, the brain threatens to over- 
throw man's physical structure. I must stop right here. The secret is mine, 
and mine shall it remain if I live, but should I find myself no longer able to 
hold out, my diary will be placed where future brave navigators of the Arctics 
may find it; have found, as yet, but three of my precious stones, which I 
have secretly named 'Artizeks.' Should my diary alone reach, and the jewels 
be lost, oh, ye doubting thousands, I charge ye, put aside your doubts, for I 
have seen, I know whereof I speak, and charge ye rest not, all brave and hardy 
explorers, until you have found as I have found, and thus prove to the doubt- 
ing world the words that here, with a difficulty you can scarcely realize, I write 
for your benefit. ' Tis a desperation born of despair, for there gleams not the 
slightest ray of hope for me and my suffering comrades." 

Part of another page — No date : 

"bad case, think he will die — poor fellow, 

he was the life of our party. Rations cut again. Enough to make a man a 
thief Steal food? Why, yes. It's done in the midst of civilized communi- 
ties, where plenty abounds, and poor devils are shut out from the food that, 
under God laws, as shown in nature, belongs in common part to all. 

"Tom he died like a weak baby that is born to die in earliest 

infancy; never seemed to live." 

"June . Dr. Pavy is gone. He was a noble fellow, God bless him ! 

He scarcely thought of himself. It was he who stuck so bravely to the sleds, 
and brought back food, and failed not to support his fallen comrades, who fell 
in the ice-bound ways. Things are desperate. From the glaring eyes of 
some of my companions in this dreadful prison of glaring, glistening ice, I 
fear that tlie awful thought of cannibalism is gradually working upon their 
already overwrought brains." 



68 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

In our possession we now find a half-page, partly obliterated : 

"My God ! is it any wonder? Men under such awful circumstances lose all 

control over their better natures, and may become even cannibals 

I was starving and felt myself more like a beast than a human 

being. With knife clenched between my teeth, half sliding, half crawling, I 

desperately approached the object I had marked out for my food 

. . Henry has been shot took what we found 

living on meat found on skins. Tough ? Yes, but food, even it be not life- 
sustaining jewels, jewels ! I'll never live to see them polished. 

hope ! hope ! hope on. 

"The icebergs have at this season a magnetic quality; have seen them 
attracted toward each other as a needle towards a magnet. We've had a 
volcano in the ice. Looked that way. Rocks surrounded by everlasting ice. 
A vomit as if from the ice itself. Don't this account for my jewels? We 
drifted into an ice cave and fatally worked our way. How does science 
account for our drifting into an under-ocean? Will our navigators live to 
tell? And if some of us survive, can they explain? Beyond us lie such 
mysteries, that in the mere contemplation " 

It is with deep regret that we find no more stray leaves from this man's 
diary. Evidently he was a man of observation, and of some education. It 
is said that one of the survivors, or at least one of the rescuing party, has ia 
his possession the jewels which " Scotty" so tenaciously clung to. Timealone 
will reveal all things, and if his jotting down of these items was the after 
effect on a mind already crazed, certainly the evident connection would point 
to the prolmbility of a basis for the odds and ends which the stray leaves of 
his diary have given us. 

THE JEANNETTE SEARCH. 

No history of the Arctic expeditions would be complete without an account 
of the Jeannette — the vessel fitted up at the expense of the present James 
Gordon Bennett and manned by U. S. officers and men. The name of Mel- 
ville stands side by side with his fellow-hero Greely. 

How men who stay at home do sometimes so eagerly attempt to belittle the 
heroes who go forth and face the brunt of the battle! whether it be in time of 
war, or for the advancement of science, and the penetration of unknown lands. 
So in the case of Melville. We append a comprehensive account of the 
Jeannette expedition. 

Before the Jeannette Board of Inquiry Lieutenant Danenhower resumed 
his narrative of the retreat after the loss of the Jeannette : 

" The most intelligent one of the natives indicated to us, by signs and a 
diagram upon the sand, the course we should take to reach Bulun. Neither 
of the natives, however, would go with us. The next morning we started out 
in the boat and worked all day to the eastward under oar and sail. About 
5 P. M. we decided to turn back and find the natives if possible. The wind 
changed and a snow storm came on. I had been at the helm all day and was 
very tired. I got Leech to relieve me. At dark we made fast to tent poles 
driven into the mud and remained all night. At daylight on the 21st Bartlett 
and Wilson stood up in the boat, and the latter thought he saw the same land 
we had left the day before. We close-reefed the sail. I took the helm, and 
we stood in. It was then snowing very hard. We encamped in the muddy 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 69 

beacli, and spread the macintosh for shelter. After breakfast Manson went 
out and reporietl liiat there were huts around the point. We einl)arl<ed and 
reaehetl the point. There we met an old man and two young ones (natives). 
They assisted ns to land, and said, *Gasta gasta?' meaning * How do you do *." 
Tiiey treated us very well, and agreed to pilot ns to Bniun, where, they indi- 
^•ated by signs, there were houses and traders." Witness exhibited to tin* 
Court rough drawings made by these natives, shadowing the plan of the river 
an<l the manner in which the [)arty were piloted by the native canoes. Witness 
said that he heard Bartlett talking to Mr. Melville and understood that a 
proposition was being discussed to send someone ahead, and suggested to Mi-. 
Melville tiiat if anyone was sent, he (witness) should go. It was, however, 
decided not t<) be practicable at that time. On the next day, the 22nd, the 
party started with the old man Williams (" Basheely ") and two others, each 
in his canoe, as pilots. On Friday, the 24th, they came to some empty houses, 
which were in excellent condition, one of which they occupied. In the after- 
noon a ])arty of natives — two males and two females — arrived, and occupied 
one of the other houses. Basheely took Mr. Melville and witness to their 
house, ancl a long interview took place. The natives seemed to know about 
the shipwreck. The next day Basheely informed them he could not proceed 
farther, but that three of the young men would go with them. The party 
embarked and worked all day to the southwest and encamped at night in an 
empty hut. About noon on Monday, the 26th, arrived at another village, and 
we were received by about a dozen men, women and children. 

The sick people were carried up to the huts and Mr. Melville and witness 
were presented to the chief of the village. The village consisted of five 
houses, a church, and several storehouses. The chief seemed to be aware of 
the siiipwreck, and entertained the party at his house, giving them a hearty 
sujiper of fish and goose, and informed them that it wouUl require fifteen days 
to reach Bidun. On Tuesday the party again started on the journey, but after 
proceeding a few hours the guides signalled to turn back, and they all returned 
to the village and were quartered there. The condition of the party at this 
time was very bad. Mr. Melville was carried from the boat to the house on 
a sled, while Leech and Lauterbach were hardly able to stand. The next day 
(Wednesday) the chief asked witness for a writing, which he indicated he 
wantetl for the priest at Bulun ; accordingly they wrote letters in French, 
German and Swedish, and Newcomb prepared a drawing of the ship fast in 
ti)e ice. These documents were sewed up in a cloth bag and given to the 
chief. He seemed to be in high sj)irits, and indicated that we would soon be 
in Bulun. On the next day the party was assigned to a hut which the natives 
had specially j)repared for them. Mr. Melville announced to the men that 
scurvy had appeared among them, and advised them how to take care of them- 
selves, and also told them that during his (Melville's) sickness, witness would 
be in command. At this time the natives Avere very friendly and furnished 
them with plenty of fish, taking a receipt for the same. At the end of the 
week, October 18th, they were surprised to see a Russian in the village. 

Witness held an interview with him, and endeavored to persuade him to 
take (witness) to his house. Mr. Melville assented, and witness accompanied 
the Russian in his dog-team, reaching his house after a half-day's journey. 
That evening Kousma (the Russian) gave witness a bag of flour, some tea, 
sugar, and tobacco, and the next day killed a deer for him, saying he had paid 
raonev for it. 



70 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

Witness told them, " as soon as we can telegraph to the United States we 
will have money, and will give you all you want." Kousma also told witness 
that two Russians would take their party to Bulun, and would start on the 
following Monday; that the natives were not reliable. Witness returned to 
camp, aiid Mr. Melville expressed great satisfaction at the results of his trip. 
Mr. Melville had greatly improved and again took command. The men one 
by one recovered, and were soon again able to do duty. When the party first 
reached the village Cale, Aniquin (the Indian) and witness were the only ones 
able to bring wood and water for the party. 

The fact that Lieutenant Danenhower offered no criticism upon the conduct 
of his fellow-officers in his testimony when asked to do so by the Jeannctie 
Board of Inquiry caused comment among officials of the Navy Department 
and naval officers in view of the Dr. Collins' interview, founded upon what 
were alleged to have been statements of Danenhower. The charges against 
Captain De Long and Engineer Melville were generally discredited. A 
gentleman in a position to know the facts so far as they were set forth in the 
official records said that there was not a scrap of paper that should cause 
any uneasiness to either the friends of Captain De Long or Engineer Melville. 
Melville's testimony contained some things that explained much that was then 
to the public a mystery. It is strange that Dr. Collins should assert that 
Melville could have saved De Long and party, when the fact is Melville did 
not hear from Ninderman and Noros where the captain and party were until 
they were dead. And the charge that they played cards, chess and checkers, 
while some natives prosecuted the search, is as unreasonable as any statement 
can possible be, when all who know Melville intimately assert that he never 
])lays cards and understands nothing of chess and checkers; in fact, never in 
his life was given to any games of amusement. As to the charges that seaman 
Bartlett was purposely left in Siberia, it may be said that the only criticism 
offered by the officials of the Navy Department is that Melville allowed so 
many of the survivors of the expedition to come home instead of remaining 
with the searching party. De Long's diary contains not a word about Melville 
but in praise, and De Long wrote in his book everything that occurred. He 
stated in it that on one occasion Melville was the only one on the Jeannette 
who was able to work and perform his accustomed duties. Though knowing 
he would soon die. Captain De Long kept his journal in his hands so long as 
he could, and lest it should, when he was no longer able to hold up his head, 
fall into the fire before him, he so held it that when death came the book fell 
back of hini. All of De Long's writings were given to his widow, but, previ- 
ous to doing so, copies of everything were made for the use of the Board of 
Inquiry. The work of copying was done in several bureaus of the Navy 
Department, and so distributed was this task, no one copyist knew enough of 
the story to give much of its language. 

MELVILLE'S HEROIC SEARCH. 

Melville's account of his efforts to save De Long and party is very interest- 
ing. The idea that Melville neglected any opportunity to find the starving 
party is preposterous. Melville and De Long were always on the most inti- 
mate terms, and the former lost no time in reaching the place indicated by 
Ninderman and Noros in the hope of finding the party alive. When the 
crew left the Jeannette Captain De Long gave Melville command of the boat 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 71 

in which were Dancnhower and other of the survivors of the expedition. 
Danenliower, being a line officer, was inclined to dennir to this arraiigenicnt, 
inasmuch as Melville was merely a staff officer, but the latter replied: '*Tlio 
only power in the Arctic Ocean appointed me to take cliaroe oi' tins party, 
and I propose to exercise the authority conferred by that appointment, and 
vou must be satisfied." 

Melville's paity landed near the month of the river which flowed by the 
scenes of so much sutferinj^. Following up the banks of the stream a Ciimp 
of natives was eu(!ountered. Melville could not make them understand that 
he wanted relief for others of the shipwrecked crew, and there were no persons 
in the partv who could converse with the strange inhabitants. Melville made 
signs to them that he was searching for the lost party, but the natives thought 
he wanted to learn the way to the nearest village; but they refused to assist 
him in his search because he had neither money nor anything else of value 
with which to reward them. Melville grew desperate and forced them to go 
with him. At the village they found a native who could speak Russian, and 
he was made *o believe that the white men were people of great distinction, 
pr'uces and kings, etc., whereupon sledges and guides were quickly supplied. 
Written directions how to find De Long's party, prepared by the captain him- 
self and left by Ninderman and Noros, were found at different points along 
the route traversed by the latter. The last one stated that De Long would go 
down the west side of the river, and Melville pushed down on that side as 
fast as lie could, but the natives grew tired, and refused to go further. Mel- 
ville, by threats of punishment, forced them to go on with him. A number 
of the searching party got sick and delay was caused in caring for them, and 
to this was added another difficulty. A severe storm set in, and for a long 
time the tracks left in the snow by De Lonj,'s party could not be found, but 
on reaching the group of dead heroes it was learned that all had died before 
Ninderman and Noros ever reached Melville, to inform him were the party 
were. De Long, instead of keeping on the west side of the river, crossed over 
to the east side. Had he not done so he might have been saved, for just prior 
to the date of his death, two hunting parties of natives were returning up the 
west side of the river. 

Melville is of the opinion that the Jeannette was as well fitted to meet the 
difficulties of Arctic navigation as any vessel that floats. No ship, he believes, 
could have been saved from disaster in circumstances the same as those attend- 
ing the loss of the Jeannette. A ship-builder recently asked the Engineer 
what construction in ship building he would recommend for Arctic navigation. 
Mr. Melville replied that if the heaviest j)lates of metal made were riveted 
together so as to leave a space between them, and that space were filled with 
melted metal and the whole so thoroughly welded together that it was compact 
and solid, yet would it fail to be strong enough to overcome the enormous 
power of the ice. In other words, no vessel can be built that will success^ 
fully navigate the Arctic ocean. The only way to reach the Pole, he contends, 
is to establish stations or colonies, which might be gradually extended north. 
He does not believe in an open Polar sea, and thinks the Pole can be reached 
by land. 

Melville, while the Jeannette was in the ice pack, ])laced a cask containing 
ilirections to forward information to him when the same shonld be found. His 
idea in doing this was that the finding of the cask might demonstrate informa- 
tion of interest regarding the direction and speed of icebergs in their journej' 

iuLTS. 



72 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

Melville has had his domestic troubles heralded to the world, but his friends 
in tlie Navy Department and in the navy, to many of whom Mrs. Melville is 
well known, do not blame him in any particular for the sad scene that occurred 
wiien the husband and wife met. Her unfortunate disposition was understood, 
aud sympathy with the l^usband was general. When Melville left home he 
])aid for three years' schooling for his children, and purchased fuel enough for 
three years besides various other articles necessary for the comfort of the 
i'atnily, but even Mrs. Melville could not eke out a living on ninety dollars 
a month, though a considerable sum in cash was left her by her husband. 
His friends urged him to procure a divorce. 

THE JEANNETTE BOARD OF INQUIRY. 

The examination of Chief Engineer Melville was begun. He was asked 
to give a narrative account of the voyage of the Jeannette, and any important 
incidents connected with her management up to the time of her loss, and began 
his story with the departure of the ship from San Francisco, July 8th, 1879. 

His narrative of the voyage up to August 31st was in the main a repetition 
of Lieutenant Danenhower's story. At this time the ship was in the Arctic 
ocean, heading north and west. The ice became heavier and headed the ship 
off more and more to the eastward until September 1st, when Herald Island 
bore west. 

Witness continued : The ship was then worked through the ice, in and out 
tlie lanes of water, trying to make north and west, as the ice would ])ermit. 
The pack was very heavy, but full of lanes and open leads towards the north. 
The pack proper extended from southwest to northeast. About September 5th 
the ship was forced into the ice as far as we could go to the westward, and 
anchored to a floe that night. We had passed through open water and some 
young ice that had made. The top-sails had been set to assist the steam in 
forcing through. The pack at this time was in motion to the eastward, and as 
we passed through it closed behind us. There were open leads to the west- 
ward that we were endeavoring to reach. On September 6th the young ice 
began to make around us and freeze fast the old ice, cementing the whole mass, 
so that it was impossible to move the ship. Captain De Long stated to me at 
that time that he had put the ship to westward in the hopes of reaching 
Wrangel Land, which was then in sight. He also said it was his intention to 
work along the coast-water to the northward, and in case he could not get the 
ship along, to use sleds when the sledding season set in, and explore along the 
coast, to see if Wrangle Land was a continent, as he had been led to suppose. 
At this time the general routine of the ship was carried on from day to day. 
Witness then described the daily occupation and amusements of the officer."; 
and men, and added: All things were cheerful and happy on board the ship. 

Witness gave an account of the ineffectual attempt of the sledge party (of 
which he was a member) to reach Herald Island, an open lead of water from 
700 to 1,000 feet wide all around the island barring the further progress, after 
having travelled about 25 miles over the ice. Witness read Captain De Long's 
orders to Lieutenant Chipp, who commanded the sledge party, which were to 
construct a cairn on the island, and to find if possible a suitable spot for winter- 
quarters for the ship if they should chance to drift down upon the island. 
At this time the whole pack was in motion. 

Witness' account of the daily routine and occupations, games upon the ice, 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 73 

bear hunting, etc., corrcsjxinded with T^iouteiiant Danenliovver's evidence, as 
also liis account of the nij)pino; <>{" tlui ship by the ice Novoinher 14tli. Wit- 
ness was ordered by the captain carefully to examine the condition of the ship 
in tiie vicinity of the enj^ines and coal bunkers, and found that the sliip liad 
sustained no material damage and gave no signs of leaking. 

Mr. Melville continued ins narrative of the experiences of the Jeannette 
crew during the imprisonment of the ship in the ice. lie stated that prior to 
November 25tli prejxirations had l)een made to abandon the ship if it liecame 
nocessarv to do so. The crews were assigne<l to the l)oats, and the men were 
drilled. Sleeping bags were made and fur clothing prepared. From January 
10th to 19th witness said there was great motion in the pack, accompanied 
with loud grinding noises. At this time the ship was in a solid bed of ice, 
and her bottom was continually struck and hammered by the ice passing under- 
neath her. The surface of the pack seemed quiescent, and but for the noise 
and under-running of the ice, it would not have been known that the ice was 
in motion at all. On the 19th the ice seemed to be piling in towani the ship 
from all directions. About 10 A. M. water was found to be running in at the 
bottom of the ship. Previous to this she received several severe jars fore and 
aft, but no damage was detected until the people went below to get the sn[)ply 
of coal for the day. When it was found that the ship was making water the 
pnm|)s were matnied and witness w-as ordered to make steam at once. The 
forehold was broken out and the supplies were gotten out, mostly in good 
condition. Some flour was damaged. Witness described the imi)rovising of 
a steam pump under his direction, by which the water was reduced so that the 
carpenters could work, and then detailed the further measures that were taken 
to stop the leaks and make the ship water-tight. This work occupied about 
ten days, during which time the steam pumps were kept constantly in motion. 
The damage to the forefoot at this time was caused by under-running ice, the 
ship being firmly imbedded in the ice, so that it was impossible to use a sail 
or thrum-mat for the purpose of stopping the leak. By January 3 1st the 
leak had so far been reduced that the ship could be kept free of water by 
using the auxiliary pumping boilers instead of the main boilers. The boilers 
and engine of the steam cutter were adapted to the work of the bilge pump 
attached to the main engine. While this work was going on the pump in the 
engine room was kept going all day long at the rate of 35 strokes |)er minute. 
Upon trying the engine and boiler of the steam cutter it was foinid that the 
main engine bilge pump was too large, so a new ])ump was made to fit them. 
By February 9th it was found that the water could be kept down by running 
the engine room pump only about 15 minutes each hour. On February 13th 
the fires were hauled in the main furnace, as it was found possible to do the 
pum])ing entirelv by the auxiliary apparatus. 

After about Noveml)er 30th, 1879, all the water used on the ship for drink- 
ing and cooking was distilled, part of the time by means of the Baxter boiler, 
and a part of the time by means of the steam cutter boiler. During this time 
it was impossible to get snow that would make water snffici(>ntly fresh for 
drinking j)urposes. 

Chief Engineer Melville decided to work back upon Ninderman's line of 
retreat. They started on the 23d of March from Matvey and soon found the 
wreck of a scow for which they had been looking, as Ninderman felt it would 
be a surer guide than any other to the remains of his former shipmates. He 
had passed this wreck when in company with Noros the first day they had 



74 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

separated from the main body, and was convinced, judging from the condition 
in which he had left his companions and the rate of travel they were able to 
maintain, that they had not advanced far beyond this conspicuous object. And 
so it proved, for after they had found the wreck they had not hunted along the 
bank more than about 500 yards when they came upon the barrel of a rifle, 
which, with the ends of four poles lashed together upon which it hung, was 
protruding from the snowdrift. The poles had been lashed together to sup- 
port one end of the ridgepole of the tent, while the other extended back and 
rested upon the bank. 

A MOURNFUL DISCOVERY. 

Two natives were at once set to work digging out the snow on either side 
of the poles, which here was about eight feet deep, and soon each came upon 
a body at the same time. Thus Boyd and Gortz were found, and Chief Mel- 
ville, after directing them to clear away the snow towards the east, ascended 
the bank, here twenty feet above the level of the ice, to find a place from which 
he could take a round of angles with his compass. While proceeding in a 
westerly direction his attention was drawn to a camp-kettle about 1000 yards 
from the tent place, and, approaching, he nearly stumbled over a bare hand 
protruding up out of the snow. Stooping down and removing the snow, which 
was not over a foot in depth, he found the remains of the unfortunate com- 
mander of the expedition. Captain De Long, and within three feet of him lay 
Dr. Ambler, while "Sam," the Chinese cook, was stretched at their feet. All 
were partly covered by the half tent which they had brought up with them 
when their companions no longer needed it, and some pieces of blanket had 
also been used to secure a little warmth. Near by were the remains of a fire, 
and in the camp-kettle some pieces of Arctic willow, of which they had made 
tea. 

RECORDS OF THE DEAD. 

On the ground near him lay Captain De Long's pocket-journal, a few ex- 
tracts from which mournful record I have already sent you. It seemed ap- 
parent that he, with the surgeon and " Sam," had died the day of the last 
entry in this journal, and probably the book had not been returned to his 
pocket after making the entry, for his pencil was also on the ground near the 
book. He had ever been particular to make some entry in his journal each 
<lay, and when nothing transpired he desired to mention he merely wrote the 
date and the number of days since the vessel sank and the retreat commenced. 
The two boxes of records were found at the tent place below the bank, and a 
little further towards the east were the medicine-chest and the flag still upon 
its staff. 

THE OTHER VICTIMS. 

The bodies of Iversen and Dressier were lying side by side just outside of 
v/herethe half tent shelter had hung from the ridge pole, and that of Mr. Collins 
v/as further in rear on the inside of the tent. Lee and Knack were not dis- 
covered for some time, but by referring to the captain's journal the searchers 
found the statement that after they died their bodies were carried "around the 
corner out of sight" by the three officers, who, with the cook, were now the 
only survivors and too weak to bury their fallen comrades. By sounding 
through the snow toward the west the missing bodies were found in a cleft in 



IIHHHIIIIMOIIIIiBIIIIMI 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 75 

the bank near by. None of those found had boots on their feet, but instead 
had wrap|)e(l rags around and tied them on to ])r()tect them somewhat from the 
cold. In their pockets, however, were found the remains of burned skin boots, 
which sliowed but too phiinly to what strait they had been re(hiccd for food. 
The hands and ch)thing of all were burned, anci it seemed that in their last 
despairing effort to gather some warmth they had actually crawled into the 
tire. Boyd was found lying directly upon the remains of a fire and his cloth- 
ing was burned through to the skin, but his body was not scorched. 

DISPOSITION OF THE BODIES. 

It was Chief Melville's intention to bury the remains upon the bank where 
they were foiuid, but the natives assured iiim that in all probability any tomb 
would be washed away, as when the river broke up in the spring there would 
be about four feet of water over the entire delta. He therefore had them all 
removed to the top of a hill of solid rock about 300 feet high, about 40 versts 
to the southwest, and there constructed a mausoleum of wood from the wreck 
of the scow near where they were found. First a gigantic cross was hewn out 
of a solid piece of driftwood and erected on the crest of the hill, and around it 
was built a box 6 feet wide, 2 feet deep and 22 feet long, placed exactly in the 
magnetic meridian. After the bodies had been placed therein the box was 
covered wMth timbers laid side by side and a ridge pole 16 feet long framed 
into the cross 5 feet above the lid of the coffin, the ends supported by timbers 
having the same inward slant. Against this ridge pole were placed timbers 
side by side until the whole formed a true pyramid, and then stones were 
heaped upon the entire structure, so that it looks like a pyramidal mound of 
stones surmounted by a cross. The cross itself is 22 feet high from the sur- 
face of the rock, is 1 foot square, and the cross beam is 12 feet long by 1 foot 
square. 

THE INSCRIPTION. 

On the cross is engraved the following inscription, cut in by the search party 
at their ,house at nights : 

In memory of twelve of the officers and men of the Arctic steamer " Jean- 
nette," who died of starvation in Lena Delta, October, 1881. Lieutenant G. 
\V. De Long, Dr. J. M. Ambler, J. J. Collins, W. Lee, A. Gortz, A. Dressier, 
'H. Erichsen, G. W. Boyd, N. Iverson, H. Knack, Alexia, Ah Sam. 

Chief Melville has made arrangements to have the pyramid sodded this 
spring, under the direction of the commander at Bulun, in case he has finished 
his search in time to escape before the breaking up of the rivers. The struc- 
ture is a very creditable affair, and conspicuous from the river at a distance 
of 20 versts. 

RECORDS AND BOOKS. 

When the records and books were found they were immediately closed, and 
no one permitted to examine their contents, with the exception of Caj)tain De 
Long's pocket-journal, and of that only the month of October, in order to serve 
as a guide in prosecuting their further search. The articles of value and such 
things as would be of interest to friends of the deceased were also boxed up, 
and, together with the records and flag, were at once sent to Yakontsk in 
charge of Mr. Bohookoff and the Cossack to be j)laced in the care of the gov- 
ernor of the district until the arrival of Chief Melville or insti'uctions from 
the Navy Department concerning the disposition to be made of them. 



76 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION, 

Chief Engineer Melville resumed his testimony. His narrative of the 
breaking up of the ioe on the morning of the 12th of June, and of the 
crushing of the vessel was purely corroborative of the account given by Lieu- 
tenant Danenhower. 

During the afternoon the crashing and noise of the ice was very great. Two 
men — Boyd and Lee — were in the boiler-room attending to the distilling of 
water. Lee came on deck, and in a very excited manner shouted that the ice 
was coming through the ship. Captain De Long told witness to go below and 
make an examination, which he did, but found that no serious damage at that 
time had occurred to the hull of the ship. Witness returned on deck, and so 
reported to the commanding officer. 

There was no confusion on hoard, the captain going about the deck as though 
no danger was imminent, evidently trying to impress upon the officers and men 
the same coolness which he himself exhibited. Later in the afternoon, on 
looking over the bow down through the water, the injury to the forefoot of 
the Jeannette, which had been received the previous winter, could be seen. 
Captain De Long told witness to get out the photographic instruments, and 
take a picture of the ship as she then lay; but while he was in the dark-room 
developing the plate the ice again crowded the ship, and the order was given 
to abandon her. 

Witness left the apparatus where it was, and returned on deck. His duty 
in connection with the order of abandonment was to get out the (liironometers, 
charts, etc., and to assist in getting out the provisions, etc., upon the ice. 
Captain De Long ordered the boats to be lowered, and taken to a safe place 
on the ice. The first and second cutter and whaleboat were lowered. Witness 
did not remember whether the two dingies were lowered at that time or were 
already on the ice. The provisions and supplies were hastily gotten out of 
the ship. 

Mr. Chipp was very sick in his bed, but on being notified, got up, and with 
the assistance of Dr. Ambler and two others got over the ship's side, and on 
to the ice. Everything went on quietly and systematically, the men singing 
ship songs at their work. 

The captain moved about giving his orders, and all hands performed their 
duty. Tlie ship began to make water rapidly, and all were satisfied that she 
was doomed. There was ample time, however, for all hands to save their 
personal effects. The alcohol, which was stowed in the after-hold, had to Ix- 
removed from the water. 

In getting out a barrel of lime juice, seamen Starr, at the risk of his life, 
swam in the water, and succeeded in getting it out. We all considered it of 
vital importance on our march in preserving us from scurvy, and witness heard 
Captain De Long speak of this action at the time in the highest terms of 
commendation. Captain De Long, Dr. Ambler, and witness did not go down 
to supper, but remained on deck. At the time the order was given to leave 
the shij) the water was up to her main deck, the sheathing was all broken in, 
and the iron work about the smoke-stack twisted. All hands left the ship 
about 11 P.M. Witness detailed the incidents of the first night upon tlie 
ice. About 4 A. M. of the 13th of June, as the watch was being called, he 
heard one of the men call out, "there she goes; there is the last of the old 
Jeannette." The next morning witness accompanied Captain De Long to the 
spot where the ship went down in thirty-eight fathoms of water. A camp- 
chest, box of provisions, and one or two other things were all that were found. 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 77 

HONORS TO MELVILLE. 

Despite the attempts of envious souls to belittle the achievements of Mel- 
ville we fintl a grand dinner given in his honor, and at the board many 
representative men of our country. 

Chief Engineer George W. Melville and his companions, W. C. F. Ninder- 
nian and Wm. Noros, together with Lieutenant Berry, were given a dinner at 
Delnionico's, New York city. At 8 P. M. tlie company marched into the 
'large ball-room on the second floor, which had been profusely trimmed with 
flags. The walls bore shields surrounded with small flags and large flags were 
draped behind the table where the chairman and the guest of the evening sat. 
In front of Engineer Melville was a circular plaque bordered with silver 
flowers and foliage, and showing in relief a part of the Arctic ocean, and the 
land about the mouth of the Lena river. Large bouquets were ])laced in the 
centre of each table, and on two of them were pyramids bearing the letter 
" M," and also the names of the following Arctic explorers : Ross, Franklin, 
Parry, McClintock, Wrangell, Hall, Hayes, Kane, Payer, Weyprecht, Nares, 
De Long, Danenhower, Kipp, Melville and Collins, Five tables were ranged 
lengthwise in the room, and a sixth, for the speakers, at the head of the others 
on a raised platform. At this were seated Judge John R. Brady, who pre- 
sided, and on his right hand Engineer Melville, ex-Mayor W. H. Wickham, 
Rufus Hatch, Captain L. A. Kimberly, U. S. N., and Chief Engineer B. F. 
Isherwood, U. S. N. At the chairman's left were Mayor Grace, Senator C. 
W. Jones, of Florida, and Colonel William C. Church. Places were also 
reserved at this table for Russell Sage and Lieutenant Berry, but they were not 
present. Perry Belmont, W. E. Robinson, S. S. Cox, General Anson G. 
McCook and General Daniel E. Sickles were selected to preside at the other 
tables, but the last three named were not present. The time of year prevented 
the attendance of many who were invited, as they were out of the city. 
Nevertheless about 150 persons sat down to the tables. Among them were 
the following: 

Collector W. H. Robertson, Surveyor Graham, Postmaster Pearson, General 
H. A. Barnum, Judge Charles P. Daly, John Roach, George W. Quintard, 
Commodore J. H. Upshur, F. S. Fithian, Thomas Rowland, Stephen B. 
French, Robert B. Roosevelt, John H. Starin, James Starin, P. H. Dugro, 
W. Weletsky, Consul-General of Russia; Paymaster Skelding, U. S. N. ; 
David Wetmore, Chief Engineer J. J. Barry, Chief Engineer L. J. Allen, 
Chief Engineer Charles H. Loring, Chief Engineer Edward Fithian, Chief 
Engineer Theodore Zeller, Chief Engineer Robert Danby, Chief Engineer 
George W. Magee, Professor R. Ogden Doremus, Alexander Henriques, 
William Delamater, Charles Mallory, Henry Mallory, Thomas J. Brennan, 
Colonel Andrew J. Smith, Civil Engineer C. F. Brindle, U. S. N. ; Arthur 
Leary, Captain S. H. Gillis, U. S. N. ; Commissioner Hubert O. Thompson, 
Captain Jas. Parker, Medical Inspector Bloodgood, U. S. N., and General 
James MeQuade. 

Many of the guests were introduced to Engineer Melville and his com- 
panions in the parlors before the dinner was served. At 10 P. M., after the 
tables had been cleared, Judge Brady rapped for order and said : 

" We have met here to honor an American, who, I am not sorry to say, was 
born in the city of New York. [Applause.] We have met to do honor to 
a man who has distinguished the American uame in the Arctic regions, one 



78 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

of the gallant band who risked their lives in the attempt to further the cause 
of science. Our guest has certainly shown us by his virtue and heroic efforts 
that he has all the elements of heroism that should make us proud of him as 
an American citizen. , [Applause.] But while the National heart throbs with 
pleasure, and his name is as dear and familiar throughout the land as house- 
hold words, I would turn your minds to the unfortunate c®mrades whose lives 
were lost in the same enterprise. I ask you for one moment to turn your 
thoughts to them, and to drink their memory, standing in silence. And now, 
turning to the living, I propose in the enthusiastic manner that distinguishes 
old New York nine cheers for Engineer Melville." [Tremendous applause 
and cries of " Melville ! "] 

Mr. Melville rose slowly and said : 

" Gentlemen, in behalf of myself and my two comrades I will say only a 
word. In the presence of this concourse of so many eminent men I would 
prefer to say nothing. But for my comrades I will say that we tried to do 
our whole duty, and any one who would try to do less would be no man at 
all." [Applause.] 

The chairman then read letters from S. S. Cox, the Rev. Henry Ward 
Beecher, and ex-Senator Roscoe Conkling. Mayor Grace being called upon 
spoke as follows : 

" Words seem poor when we consider how insufficient they are to convey 
the feeling of those who are lovers of heroism. These survivors and their 
companions have given to the world an exemplification of heroism such as is 
st'Idom seen. After twenty months the staunch ship failed them, and they 
were left in the darkness of Arctic night. Then came want, cold, hunger and 
death. But their hearts were stauncher than their ship, and never failed them. 
So that you, sir, and all your crew, from the gallant leader to the humblest 
seaman, have shown by their fidelity to duty that the American navy, though 
wanting in iron hulls, still had hearts of .gold. [Applause.] When that 
company of two was cheered as they went forth to seek assistance, the last 
words they heard were : 'Remember us when you get to New York.' We 
do remember them [applause] and their courage to dare and endure. I am 
not much versed in Arctic exi)loration, and have much doubt if the benefit to 
science will compensate for the lives which have been lost. Yet it seen)s that 
every man must grow nobler in contemplating their deeds, and so nothing 
may be lost. It is because these gentlemen have shown the highest type of 
devotion that the city of New York welcomes them with joy only tempered 
by sorrow for the loss of their noble companions." 

Chief Engineer Isherwood then said that the members of Engineer Mel- 
ville's corps felt no disappointment at hearing of Mr. Melville's exploits. 
What he did was precisely what they would have expected of him. He did 
what was to be expected of a thoroughly trained engineer who knew what he 
could do, and had the will to do it. 

Senator Jones, of Florida, spoke of the suffering of the crew, and its lesson 
upon the world. 

Among the other speakers were Rufus Hatch, Captain Parker, Colonel 
Andrew Smith, John Roach, General McQuade, Richelieu Robinson, Captain 
Cimberley aud Corporal Tanner. 



THE GllEELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 79 

OFFICIAL RECORD. 

WRITTEN BY CAPTAIN BE LONG. 

Now the reader is asked to examine and consider the official record written 
bv Captain De Long at intervals during the first and second years of the 
Jeannette's imprisonment in the pack, and found beside his dead body in the 
Lena Delta. The rej)ort covers the history of the Jeannette's cruise and drift 
i'rom the time of her departure from San Francisco in July, 1879, to tiie lst| 
of JaiHiarv, 188L After relating with great fullness of detail the incidents 
of the Jeannette's cruise from San Francisco to Beiiring's Strait and of his 
attempts to learn something from the Siberian natives with regard to Nor- 
denskjold's ship, the Vega, Captain De Long gives the following account of 
the Jeannette's experience and of his own motives and plans during the four 
or five critical days in September which preceded the ship's imprisonment: 

*' We are now fairly at the beginning of our Arctic work, and the lateness 
c>f the season made it extremely questionable whether or not we had any chance 
of accom[)li8hing anything before the winter set in. As the commander of a 
Polar expedition my chief desire was to get north, and I had already come so 
far to the westward in carrying out department orders, that the sooner I started 
in a northerly direction seemed the better for the object in view. Additional 
time would be lost were I to attempt to get a more easterly position before 
heading to the northward, particularly as from the experience of American 
whalers and the ships of the English Franklin relief expedition, there was 
nothing to indicate there a better chance of progress. On the other hand, we 
were within 220 miles of Wrangell Land. 

" With land so near us offering a chance of exploration of a winter harbor 
from which a higher latitude might be attained by sledges, and perhaps pre- 
senting what was naturally to be expected, land-water along its eastern coast, 
in which case a good northing might be made by the ship herself before any 
exploration or sledge journey might be undertaken, I concluded that I was 
exercising good judgment in considering that land as a kind of support for the 
first winter's campaign, and I accordingly shaped a course north by west true, 
proceeding with all speed." 

Captain De Long then describes the manner in which the ship made her 
way northward through loose streams of floating ice until she reached a poinfc 
about forty miles southeast of Herald Island, where she was stopped by what 
seemed to be impenetrable pack ice. That night a promising lead opened to 
the westward, and Captain De Long decided to enter it. "Believing as I," 
he says, "that the best chance for an advance would be land-water extending 
along the eastern coast of Wrangell Land and hoj)ing that the promising lead 
to the westward would conduct us to it." Captain De Long continues: 

"At that time I hoped we were destined to reach this land. Though our 
lead had abruptly terminated at a wall of ice the surface of the floes was cut 
up here and there by ponds and small lakes wliich any movement of the ice 
might unite into a lane of navigable water. Instead of opening, however, the 
ice closed, and on the following day the Jeannette was beset, never again to 
be released. My choice of plans was limited by the surroundings. To ad- 
vance was impossible, even if a chance existed of doing so, and holding our 
present location meant wintering in the pack and drifting we linew not where." 



80 THE GEEELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

THE LAST OF THE JEANNETTE. 

The report continues with a description of the preparations for abandoning 
the ship, should it become necessary, and an account of the daily life on ship- 
board during; the ice siege. Captain De Long describes with great fullness of 
detail, and with many pen-and-ink diagrams and illustrations, the long battle 
of the Jeannette with the ice and the devices and expedients which were 
resorted to to repair damages and to strengthen the ship for future ordeals. 
Hfe pays a glowing tribute to the faithfulness of carpenter Sweetman and sea- 
man Ninderman, who worked night and day repairing the damages. The 
last entry in the record is dated December 81, 1880, and is as follows: 

"During the past sixteen months we have drifted 1300 miles — far enough, 
if it had been in a straight line, to carry us to and beyond the pole; but we 
are yet only 220 miles northwest of where we were first beset. We have suf- 
fered injury, and danger has often confronted us. We have been squeezed and 
jammed, tossed and tumbled. We have pumped a leaking ship for a year, 
but we are not yet daunted, and we are as ready to dare everything as we ever 
were. And we face the new year firmly, hoping to do something worthy of 
ourselves and of the flag above us." 

In less than ten months after these words were written the Jeannette was at 
the bottom of the Arctic Ocean and De Long lay dead in the Lena Delta. 

MELVILLE'S STORY OF THE JEANNETTE EXPEDITION. 

The winter of 1879 and 1880 passed quietly with the usual routine of occu- 
pations and amusements. Tlie officers employed nearly all their time in reading 
when off duty. Usually after dinner and supper there was a general conver- 
sation among the officers upon religion, politics and other subjects. The gen- 
eral tone of the messes was very pleasant, and there was less of disagreement 
among the officers in the Jeannette's mess than in most of those I have been 
in during my twenty-one years service in the navy. On Sundays we had a 
better dinner than usual. It seemed to be the desire of the commanding 
officer — who messed with us — to bring on a general conversation, and we 
would discuss almost anything that happened to be uppermost in our thoughts. 
In the first part of the cruise the captain, the doctor, Mr. Collins and Mr. 
Dunbar, and occasionally Mr. Chipp, would play cards for amusement. I 
never played cards; never knew how, and don't know now. During the 
daytime any person, officer or seaman, might take his gun and hunt over the 
floe for any distance, the only restriction being to be on board ship by sun- 
down or at the dro])ping of the ball at the masthead. During the winter-time 
the hunters shot a number of bears. I believe Mr. Dunbar was accredited 
with the greatest number, fireman Bartlett and seaman Ninderman being the 
most persistent hunters. I believe they were accredited with the greatest 
luimher of seals and walrus. The most. of the seal and walrus, however, were 
obtained in the spi'ing and fall. About the middle of March the sun com- 
menced to get pretty strong. The snow was removed from the ship's sides 
and a trench dug all the way around the ship to ease her in case she should 
attempt to rise, as she would naturally do, being lightened by the amount of 
coal and provisions which had been used during the winter. 

We found as sf)ring approached and the ship loosened in her bed she inva- 
riably arose in the water. About March 18^ 1880, we had drifted so far to 
the southward and eastward as to bring the mountain-peaks of Wrangell Land 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 81 

in sight. I mention this fact to show that the drift was not continuously to 
the northwarcJ, hut that tlie whole flow was found to be drifting at various 
times to all points of the compass, apparently governed by the winds and cur- 
rents. During the month of March the weather wa.s disagreeable and there 
wa> much fog. After A|)ril 1 the spring and summer routines were enforced, 
such as changing the meal hours, and the exercise on the ice was discontinued. 
The weather being fine, it was natural to suppose that the people would take 
sufficient exercise at all times to maintain good bodily health. In the spring 
the store-rooms were broken out, the bilge pump was removed from the engine- 
room and j>laced in the fire-room hatch aft. The ship being set by the stern, 
the water that had accumulated there was pumped out. I would here state 
that I had orders from the commanding oflBcer to attend to the heatin*; of the 
quarters of the officers and men, anc^ those orders were during the winter-time 
to maintain a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit as steadily as possible. 

Toward the latter part of May the fires in the stoves in the cabin and fore- 
castle were discontinued between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. To avoid the expenditure 
of co:il in the galiev the tea-water was heated on the cabin and forecastle stoves. 
About the 1st of June the decks were cleared up, the ship was painted, the 
running-gear was attended to, and the ship got ready for sea. About July 1 
long leads of water commenced to make in all directions, but none directly m 
toward the ship. It was impossible to travel more than a mile in any direo- 
tio 1 without the use of a boat, or, as the hunters managed it, by j)addling 
across the leads of water on a piece of ice. About this time Mr. Chipp and 
the captain discussed the possibility of blasting the ice between tlie shij) and 
the nearest lead to which the ship could be worked, and the conclusion they 
came to was that there was not powder enough in the ship to effect it. Mr. 
Chipp was directed to make torpedoes. He devised fuses and insulated wire 
for torpedo purposes to be used with what powder he had, provided the leads 
made closer to the ship. Later in the season the ice thawed astern of us, 
making a short lead nearly at right angles to the line of the ship, but not 
leading into any of the main leads. The ship's forefoot was resting on a large 
sunken floe piece, which it was supposed at the time might strain the ship and 
open the old wound in her forefoot. An effort was made to heave the ship 
astern into the open water. An immense mass of ice was removed from under 
her counters, the people working up to their waists in water. Finally the 
ship was hove astern a short distance, the large floe piece rising under her 
bows. The ship settled down on nearly an even keel and the leak in the bow 
was closely watched. It was found to have increased considerably. As there 
was still a piece of ice under her forefoot it was thought best to let the ship 
lay as she was. 

During the summer the carpenter's force altered the shape of the deck-house, 
putting it over the forecastle hatch and skylight for the purpose of making it 
warmer and dryer. During the first winter, when she leaked badly, the ship 
was very wet, because in filling in the space between the frames and putting in 
the water-tight bulkhead, the forecastle deck being below the water-line, the 
water found its own level above the forecastle deck and at times ran along over 
the deck. As soon as the leak was sufficiently stopped the water was allowed 
to flow aft of the pumps, and this relieved the forecastle of much of the 
moisture. Witness thought from what he had read of other Arctic ships 
that the Jeannette might be considered a dry ship. Toward the latter part 
of August the propeller was put in place, and the ship and engines were 



82 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDTTION. 

gotten ready in case the floe should break up. About September 15th the 
deck-house was erected on the forward part of the ship, and covered with sails 
and awnings for the winter. The pemniican was removed from tlie lower hole 
and stowed in the deck-house for emergencies. The crew's knapsacks and 
spare clothing, the tents, cook-stoves, and all the small gear intended for use 
on the retreat in case of fire or disaster to the ship were always kept on deck or 
in a convenient place to be readily passed over the ship's side on to the ice, the 
alcohol alone being stored below under the main hatch for safety. At times 
some of the alcohol was stowed on the spar deck and covered with a tarpaulin, 
but as some of the cans were found to leak, they were stowed under the hatch. 
November 1st the winter routine was again put in force, including the custom- 
ary exercise on the ice and the examination of the officers and crew by the 
medical officers. 

During this winter, as well as the previous one, the people amused them- 
selves as they saw best during the two hours' exercise on the ice, walking, 
hunting, or kicking foot-ball. The officers read more than during the previ- 
ous winter, and there appeared to be less playing of games among them, none 
of them seeming to be in as good spirits as they were the winter before. The 
life was dull and monotonous. Even the capture of a fox was hardly consid- 
ered as a thing of interest. There was very little movement of the ice during 
the fall and winter of 1880, and the ship lay very quietly in her bed. 

ARCTIC PERILS. 

LOSS OF MASTER PUTNAM OF THE RODGERS EXPEDITION. 

We have obtained the following facts from the officers of the Rodgers, and 
particularly from Master G. M. Stone, and Passed Assistant Engineer A. V. 
Zane. Referring to the loss of Putnam : 

On January 10th, the weather being fine, the party left the North Head for 
the Wood House, Mr. Putnam driving his own team, and Mr. Hunt riding 
on the sled with him, Dr. Castillo riding with Ehr Ehren — the principal 
native of the party — and Mr. Zane riding with another native. Dr. Castillo 
was going up for the trip only, and had made arrangements with a native at 
St. Lawrence Bay to bring him back. They had not proceeded far when 
Putnam's sled broke down, and, although repaired by his men, Hunt was 
obliged to ride with the third native. It is hard to say whether this little 
accident caused the loss of Putnam or the safety of Hunt. Towards noon the 
sky became overcast. A wind sprang up from the northward and soon 
increased to a terrific gale, filling the air so thickly with snow, that it became 
impossible to see the route, and consequently the natives lost their way. They 
kept on, however, making the dogs face the gale until 6 P. M., when the 
natives deemed it expedient to camp where they were for the night. It was 
absolutely necessary to come to a halt, because it would have been death to the 
dogs to compel them to face the gale longer. The air was so thick with the 
drifting snow that the lead dogs could not be seen by the drivers. This was 
a night of most intense suffi^ring, sometimes sitting on the sleds to try to get a 
little sleep and compelled to move about to get warm. The thermometer 
registered 30° Fahrenheit, and they were obliged to remain in this temperature, 
without even protection from the winds, from 6 o'clock in the evening until 
8 next morning. In the morning it moderated a little, and they decided to 
return to St. Lawrence Bay and wait until the weather became more suitable 



THE GREEI.Y ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 83 

for travelling. The storm increased in violence all tiie time, but as the wind 
was now behind they had no trouble, and the bay was reached in safety. 
There being no dog food at North Head it became necessary to go to the south 
side. The bay was crossed, arriving on the southern shore about one and a 
lialf miles from the village of Nutiipinwin, their destination. All the heavy 
gales during this season of the year were from the northward and westward. 
Just before getting to the village, it was necessary to make a sharp turn to the 
right, and go in the teeth of the gale for about two hundred yards. The order 
in which the sleds were proceeding was Castillo and Elir Ehren, Putnam, 
Zane, and Nortung, and Hunt and a native, who were some distance behind. 
Proceeded along well until they made the turn to face the gale, when Put- 
nam, not having the ability to control dogs so well as the natives (it is difficult 
to force the dogs to go to windward in a severe storm), or probably not know- 
ing of the abrupt deviation from his course, as he could not see the other sleds 
turn, probably kept straight on. Zane, being familiar with the locality, 
recognized some landmarks when near the village, but Putnam could not 
recognize the marks, as this was his first visit to the place. 

About this time Zane overtook Putnam, and when their sleds were abreast 
remarked, " Well, Put, it seems that we are all right, after all." Putnam 
answered, '* I hope so." They were the last words he was ever heard to utter, 
and that was the last seen of him. His sled fell a little behind. The natives 
made the turn with some difficulty, but Putnam missed it, partly owing to his 
being unable to see them. It is thought that as the wind was quartering he 
was sitting on his sled back to the wind, which, being very strong, gradually 
edged his sled out of the track towards the ice, which was but a short distance 
ofp. However, he got on the ice, and the supposition is that after going some 
distance out he became aware of his mistake, and not being able to see which 
way to go, and his shouts not being heard in such a violent gale, he camped, 
deciding to wait for clear weather, and also knowing that a search would be 
made for him as soon as he was missed. On reaching the village, in about 
five minutes after speaking with Putnam, Mr. Zane went immediately into a 
house, as he was almost frozen. It was soon discovered that Putnam was 
missing, and, thinking he had made some mistake, a native started down to 
the beach to look for him, and when Hunt came along on his sled he found 
Nortung (the native) yelling with all his might, but thinking this noise was 
to guide him, kept on to the village. Here he ascertained that it was Putnam 
he was seeking. Hunt went in and inquired of Zane if Putnam had arrived; 
this was the first intimation Zane had of the unfortunate occurrence. Both 
then started for the beach to assist in the search ; they were both now thor- 
oughly alarmed, for they could appreciate the danger of being lost in such a 
storm. They offered every inducement, entreated and ordered the natives to 
hitch up the dogs, and hunt for the unfortunate man, but they would neither 
hitch up their dogs nor allow them to use their own dogs, saying that the gale 
was too heavy, they could not see, and that probably next day would be fine, 
and then all would go out and hunt. All, threats proving unavailable, nothing 
could be done but to wait for the morrow. The gale was increasing in violence 
every moment. After going down to the beach it was impossible to get back 
to the houses, the wind blew so strong in the face. During the night the heavy 
wind detached the ice from shore, and carried it to sea. Next morning, at 
daylight, they again went on the search. Hunt and Zane started along the 
beach, and natives taking various other directions to look for him. The wind 






84 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

had gone down some, but it was still blowing so hard as to make travelling 
very difficult. The morning was clear, however, and a considerable distance 
could be seen. Hunt and Zane gazed on the place which the night before had 
been one sheet of ice, and saw that it was now clear water, with no ice in sight. 
They walked along the beach about a mile until they came to a bluff which 
they knew it would have been impossible to pass on a sled, and satisfied them- 
selves that he was not on the beach. It was almost certain that he had 
camped on the ice and been carried to sea with it. The only chance for his 
safety seemed to be that the wind would spring up from the southward and 
drive the ice in shore, or that it would become calm and allow the new ice to 
form between the old and the shore, so that the unfortunate man could walk 
over it. 

The next day Hunt and Zane, with three natives, started for North Head 
to notify Waring of the sad accident. Castillo was left at South Head to look 
after Putnam if he should come ashore. After crossing the bay they met 
Waring and told him of the calamity. He told them to proceed to the Wood 
House in obedience to the orders of Lieutenant Berry, and he would imme- 
diately set out on a search along the coast for Putnam. The Wood House 
was reached on the 13th, where they found Lieutenant Berry busy in making 
preparations for a sledge journey along the coast to the westward, expecting 
Putnam to accompany him. When Waring heard of the accident, he was on 
his way to South Head to get some walrus meat, provisions at his village being 
scarce; he gave the charge of everything at North Head to Stony, and went 
on to search to the southward. At half-past 2 that afternoon (13th) he 
received a note from Cahill, one of the crew stationed at South Head, stating 
that Putnam had been seen on the morning of the 13th, on an icefloe about 
three miles from shore. The natives would not launch their skin l^oats ou 
account of the intervening thin ice (which is even worse on the boats than 
heavy ice), though every effort was made by Cahill, who offered large rewards 
to induce them to do so. Late in the afternoon of the following day word 
was received that Putnam had been seen from a village six miles south of 
South Head on the ice eight miles from shore, and that the natives were 
making preparations to rescue him. Waring pushed on to the village, reach- 
ing it that night through a heavy wind and snow storm, blowing hard off 
shore. It was here ascertained that on the preceding day an attempt had been 
made by four men of the Rodgers crew, assisted by two natives, to rescue 
Putnam, but after proceeding nearly three miles they were forced to return, 
the boat having been cut through in so many places that they were barely able 
to keep her afloat until shore was reached. Another severe off-shore storm 
was now raging, and the unfortunate man was lost sight of. The natives were 
confident that the ice-floe would be driven inside of a point some distance down 
the coast, and preparations were immediately made to go down to the point 
as soon as the weather would permit. Now there was trouble in procuring 
dogs to travel, because the natives at both North and South Head were afraid, 
on account of some previous difficulty with the natives at Indian Point, to go 
down the coast or to allow their dogs to go, saying they would be killed. At 
last, however, a team was scraped up from four villages, ranging over a space 
of thirty or forty miles. It was the 17th before another start could be made ; 
it opened stormy, but soon moderated, and the search continued with one 
native and a team of eight dogs. The coast was skirted to the sixth settle- 
ment, about thirty miles, but no news was heard ; the off-shore wind had 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 85 

dr-iven the heavy ice to sea. The next day, not being able to get dogs to 
continue the journey, he was compelled to return to the vilhigc next to South 
Head. 

Several dogs came ashore, but the natives could catch only three. The 
natives said that all came ashore without harness. Whether the dogs really 
came ashore without harness or whether the natives, fearing the dogs would 
be claimed and taken from them, told this story to make Waring think thty 
did not belong to Putnam is not known, but the dogs were positively reco^:- 
nizod as belonging to the team Putnam drove on that fatal day. Rumors of 
Putnam's having been seen were constantly coming in, and after being weather- 
bound for three days. Waring, on the 2d of February, started down the coast 
to verify them. He kept steadily on, searching the whole coast minutely from 
South Head to Plover Bay. He communicated with several natives who spoke 
good English, and they were satisfied that Putnam had never come near the 
shore. 

At Engwort (sixty miles from South Head) another dog, with a pistol-shot 
wound in his neck, came on shore ten days ])reviously and was recognized as 
belonging to Putnam's team. This dog — as, indeed, all were — waa very thin 
and emaciated, covered with ice, and had every appearance of having been long 
in the water. He had probably shot this dog intending to use it for food, but 
he had succeeded in escaping. In all six dogs out of his team of nine came 
ashore. At Marcus Bay and Plover Bay letters were left for the whalers in- 
forming them of the condition of the wrecked crew and urging them to hasten 
to their assistance. Mr. Waring was more than a month on this trip, getting 
back on the 18th of February, and did not return until he was fully satisfied 
that there was no hopes of his safety. 

It is known that Putnam was not dead the third day after being lost, and 
how much longer he survived can only be conjectured. All this time the tem- 
perature was from 20° to 40° below zero, and he had no protection from the 
piercing winds. True, he was very warmly clad. He probably killed one or 
more of his dogs for food ; he surely did not die of starvation. The floe that 
he was on doubtless broke into fragments during one of the gales, and he was 
drowned. It would not seem so awful if he had perished in a shorter time ; 
at least it would be some consolation to know that his sufferings were not so 
prolonged. Some spoke of there being a possibility of his having drifted down 
to St. Lawrence Island, and thus being saved, but we spoke to some natives 
from the island while on our way down in the Corwin, and they knew nothing 
of the accident. Thus the last hopes of his shipmates were destroyed. The 
natives gave all the assistance in their power to aid in the search. News of 
the loss was known all along the coast (and men were placed on the lookout) 
within two days after it occurred. 

PROFESSOR NORDENSKJOLD 

thus describes life in the Polar regions : It is impossible to form an idea of a tem- 
pest in the Polar sea. The icebergs are like floating rocks whirled along a rajiid 
current. The crystal mountains dash against each other backward and forward, 
bursting with a roar like thunder and returning to the charge until, losing 
their equilibrium, they tumble over in a cloud of spray, upheaving the ice- 
fields, which fall afterward like the crack of a whip-lash on the boiling sea. 
The sea-gulls fly away screaming, and often a black, shining whale comes for 



S6 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

an instant puffing to the surface. When the midnight sun grazes the horizon 
the floating mountains and the rocks seem immersed in a wave of purple light. 
The cold is by no means so insupportable as is supposed. We passed from a 
heated cabin at 30° above zero to 47° below zero in the open air without 
inconvenience. A much higher degree of cold becomes, however, insufferable 
if there is wind. At 15° below zero a steam, as if from a boiling kettle, rises 
from the water. At once frozen by the wind, it falls in a fine powder. This 
phenomenon is called ice-smoke. At 40° the snow and human bodies also 
smoke, which smoke changes at once into millions of tiny particles like needles 
of ice, which fill the air and make a light, continuous noise like the rustle of 
a stiff silk. At this temperature the trunks of trees burst with a loud report, 
the rocks break up, and t[ie earth opens and vomits smoking water. Knives 
break in cutting butter. Cigars go out by contact with the ice on the beard. 
To talk is fatiguing. At night the eyelids are covered with a crust of ice, 
which must be carefully removed before one can open them. 

A very interesting account of the northeast passage by the steamer Vega, 
which has brought such renown to Professor Nordenskjold, is given by Lieu- 
tenant Palander, who commanded the Vega. There is no doubt the Vega 
would have made her entrance into Behring Strait the same season in which 
she started on her voyage but for the exceptionally unfavorable condition of 
the ice. She had passed the real points of difficulty and danger, and was 
within 120 miles of Behring Strait on the 28th of September, 1878, when the 
ice closed in upon her, and she was unable to move until the 18th of the fol- 
lowing July. The region in which she passed the winter is well known to 
explorers and whalers, many of whom have passed through the same waters, 
encountering no ice even as late as the 1st of November. Now that the pas- 
sage has been shown to exist, the question whether it can be made commercially 
tiseful is the next in interest. If vessels can get through in two months, as 
Lieutenant Palander says they may, if no unanticipated obstructions intervene, 
considerable commercial use may be made of the passage in trading with the 
natives along nearly one thousand miles of habitable coast. But this question 
of an open passage is one that Lieutenant Palander is not prepared to answer. 
That open water near the coast does exist during the summer and autumn 
months admits of no doubt in his mind. The difficulties to be met with at 
and around the northernmost cape of the Siberian coast — Cape Tchelpuskin — 
and Taimy-i Island are such as to make it doubtful whether ships can get 
through without wintering over. That a passage is to be found there once or 
twice Lieutenant Palander does not doubt, but it may occur so late that winter 
will set ill before Behring Strait is reached. In summing up Lieutenant 
Palander says: "The northeast passage cannot, therefore, in its entirety be 
made available for the purpose of commerce; but still an annual traffic might 
easily be carried on from the westward to the Obi and the Yenisei and from 
the eastward to the Lena. Unquestionably the way now lies open to Siberia's 
three greatest rivers ; and that land, so rich in minerals, timber and grain, 
whose export and import trade have hitherto been conducted by means of 
caravans, ought now to obtain a practical route as a connecting link between 
the Old and the New World." Vessels designed for this hazardous traffic 
will have to be specially constructed to push their way through fields of drift- 
ing and newly-formed ice and be coaled and provisioned for an ice blockade 
lasting from eight to nine months. 

The song of the icy sea is a very peculiar one, and can scarcely be described 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 87 

so as to convey any clear idea of its imture. It is not loud, yet it can be heard 
to a great distance. It is neither a surge nor a swash, but a kind of slow, 
crashing, groaning, shrieking sound, in which sharp silvery tiid^lings mingle 
with the low, thunderous undertone of a rushing teni})est. It iiuj)resses one 
with the idea of nearness and tlistance at the same time, and also that of im- 
mense forces in conflict. When this confused fantasia is heard from afar 
through the stillness of an Arctic night the effect is strangely weird and almost 
solemn, as if it were the distant hum of an active, living world breaking across 
the boundaries of silence, solitude and death. 

On June 25tli the steam whaler North Star, the first ship of the season to 
reach Point Barrow, steamed up a long lead, which ran in a northeast direc- 
tion about six miles from the shore, until she came opposite the signal station, 
when she made fast to the grounded ice. On the 8th of July she made her 
way into a small inlet in the shore ice, about three miles from shore, with the 
hope that the projecting ice capes, grounded in fifteen fathoms, would withstand 
the pressure and protect her until the current should change, or a favorable 
opportunity for making her escape should occur. It soon, however, became 
certain that this hope was vain, for the pack kept on its way slowly and steadily, 
but as relentless as fate. The ice capes were ground into powder, and melted 
away before the resistless pressure as if they were not a straw's weight instead 
of millions of tons. The grounded mass around the ship soon followed, and 
the ill-fated Star was caught and ground to pieces as if she were no stronger 
than a child's card-board toy. Never was destruction more complete. Her 
great masts and massive ribs of solid timber cracked and broke as if they were 
pipe-stems, and in an hour from the time the pressure first reached her nothing 
remained of the great ship that looked so beautiful and strong in the bright 
sunshine a few minutes before but two or three boats, a little hard bread, a 
few bags of flour and forty-eight homeless men. What assistance could be 
given was furnished by the party at the signal station. All that had been 
saved from the wreck was brought on shore, tents and provisions were fur- 
nished to the shipwrecked men until the 14th, when the whalers Bowhead and 
Belvidere came up and took them off to be distributed through the rest of the 
fleet. On the 15th the pack had nearly all disappeared, and the barrier of 
anchored ice was then about two miles wide, but it broke up rapidly, and on 
'the 22d no ice was visible. 

Tlie following interesting story should certainly find a place in this work. 
It gives a vivid description of the trials and characteristics of the wretched 
dwellei's amid Arctic snows. It relates to the strange life of the officers and 
crew of the Rodgers among the Thchouktchis on Corwin Island, and on the 
mainland after the burning of the Rodgers. 

After the crew were proportioned out among the several settlements, there 
began a struggle to get food enough to sustain life. The natives are rather 
improvident, seldom preparing for hard times by laying up a reserve stock of 
walrus or seal meat, so when so many extra men were thrown upon their 
hospitality, food soon became scarce, and everybody had to go hunting. It 
frequently happened that they were not successful in the hunt, and then they 
would be compelled to go for days without food. It was very revolting at 
first to be obliged to live in the filthy huts of the natives. The odors were 
sickening. The huts were circular at the bottom with a conical top, and earth 
thrown around the bottom outside to prevent the snow from driving under, 
'^'w'iiey have a frame of light poles stuck in the ground and covered with wal- 



88 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

rus hides and seal skins, the entrance or door being an oblong hole large enough 
to crawl through. Inside the huts are stowed the whole effects of the family 
(or the several families) occupying the house, and the amount of grease, decayed 
meat, and refuse that accumulates in a short time can scarcely be imagined. 
Frequently the dogs are allowed inside. The houses are seldom more than 
20 or 25 feet in diameter. In the centre is the fireplace where everything is 
cooked. A kind of tripod is used to suspend the pots over the fire. There 
is usually a small hole left at the apex of the cone to allow the smoke to 
escape. This carries it off very imperfectly, and when the fire is burning the 
quantity of smoke in the house is almost unbearable. The sleeping apartment 
is made of the best deer skins that the owner can afford to get, and is separated 
from the main apartments by a large drop curtain of reindeer skin. This one 
apartment serve^ as the sleeping-place of the whole family and whatever visi- 
tors they may have, everybody turning in naked. At night a lamp is kept 
burning, and this heats the place to a temperature of from 70° to 90°, the 
usual temperature of the houses in winter. This lamp is a large bowl — either 
earthen or wooden— filled with seal oil, and having a wick of dried moss, 
which has been saturated with the oil, around the edge. Of course the cast- 
aways had to throw aside all their reserve and prejudices, and adopt the 
manners and customs of the natives. The natives know the difference between 
an officer and a shipped man. While the officers in nearly every instance were 
obeyed and treated with a certain degree of respect, the sailors had no influence 
over them at all. 

Frequently the people had to go hungry when the only chance to get any- 
thing to eat was to go out and kill their own game. A seal or walrus at such 
ames was a godsend. Imagine a man out hunting with the thermometer 
standing 40° below zero, when it was either success or starvation. How 
interesting it was to go some distance out on the ice, and watch over a seal 
hole for hours, when the watcher has eaten nothing for probably two da}'S, 
waiting for a seal to make its appearance, and when at last it would come up, 
the hunter would be so cold and benumbed that he could hardly aim the gun. 
Such was not an unfrequent experience at St. Lawrence Bay. At such times 
they were not particular in having the seal cooked before satisfying their 
hunger. Seals are by no means so easy to capture as one might suppose. 
When they haul out on the ice they lie close to the air hole, and unless killed 
instantly are sure to escape. During warm weather seals sink when shot in 
the water ; in cold weather, however, they invariably float. Walrus float when 
killed. Ducks and rabbits were also frequently hunted and killed. Deer 
were scarce and were seen only many miles in the interior. It was a very er- 
roneous idea entertained by many people that the crew would be able to procure 
plenty of reindeer during the winter and would never suffer for want of food. 
In the first place there are but few deer near the coast. In the second place, 
even in that country, people don't part with their stock without some remu- 
neration, and but very few trade goods were saved from the burning ship. 
What goods were saved had to be traded for clothing — as much of a necessity 
as food. The report that one of the Russian Governors in Siberia had sent 
trade goods to Lieutenant Berry is false, or, at least, none were ever seen or 
heard of. The crew went through the suffering from hunger and exposure 
that usually falls to the lot of Arctic explorers. Those who lived with poor 
huntsmen fared worse than the others, and had to skirmish round more for 
themselves, though the natives are very kind, and will always share their last 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 8» 

seal with a family that has none. Mr. Stoney, unfortunately for him, though 
fortunately for the native, was quartered in a house with a very poor hunter, 
and did most of the hunting for the entire family. Nearly every day that the 
weather would permit he would take his gun and hunt, sometinies from neces- 
sity, and at other times for exercise and recreation. He became a great 
favorite, and the man of the house would follow him around on his hunting 
expeditions like a faithful slave, looking out for his safety. When the ice 
was thin in many places in the fall and spring, this native would precede Mr. 
Stotiev, and try the surface with a long pole before he would allow him tot 
venture across suspicious-looking places. During the winter it is usual to 
hunt several miles off shore, and it is very hard and fatiguing work to drag a 
large seal that distance over hummocky ice with from one to three feet of 
snow on it. When there would be a long spell of bad weather, preventing 
the hunters from going out, there would be almost a famine in the villages. 

A piece of walrus hide, dog, or putrid walrus meat would then be consid- 
ered a luxury. Five days without food. Dogs dying a natural death were 
eaten; one mad dog killed for food. It is true that they were sometimes 
compelled to eat meat so rotten that they had to shut their eyes and hold their 
noses while dining, and it would rasp their throats while swallowing it. Their 
stomachs would frequently revolt at this; but it was eat or starve. The 
natives relish their meat, more especially walrus meat, after it has been killed 
a long time, and has arrived at a certain state of putrefaction ; they say it is 
then more tender (which it undoubtedly must be) and sweeter (which is contrary 
to the belief of their guests). Another favorite dish is what the sailors called 
"slum gullion," a mixture of grass and oil, more than half oil. At meal 
times a long wooden trough of food is set on the floor; all gather around the 
trough and begin operations, the quickest man getting the lion's share. As 
soon as he could bring himself down to eat what the natives do Jack became 
very nimble. I heard one sailor say that at first he was slow, and got very 
little to eat, but in a short time he could compete favorably with any two of 
the natives. This eating trough is kept in the filthy condition that character- 
izes all the surroundings. The natives are very particular to eat in courses 
(when they have anything to eat). Thus : First, raw fish (bones and all),, 
pronounced excellent; second, "slum gullion;" third, walrus skin, raw; and 
fourth, walrus, said to be the finest dish ever set before man. The ofKcers 
were as highly regarded in the houses they lived in as any of the family. The 
household would go without food to keep their guests from suffering. They 
Avould make clothes for them, and when put on would stand off and admire 
them, inspecting them in every different position, and apf)ear as pleased as a 
mother would over her child. When one of the strangers would feel a little 
down-hearted, and could not eat what was set before him the native would say, 
"Why no eat? you no eat me no eat," and thus almost compel him to eat 
whether the meat was revolting or not. Sometimes when one would be caught 
thinking and apparently depressed, the kind-hearted native would say, "Me 
think you homesick; never mind, ship by and by come ; no too long; one 
moon." They count time entirely by moons. A certain amount cf exercise 
was necessary almost daily to prevent the scurvy from taking a firm hold on 
them. Exercise was secured by long walks, hunting or sledging when a team 
could be procured. Stoney and Waring would sometimes make short excur- 
eions inland, go to the deer man's camp, occasionally travelling seventy milea 
a day. 



90 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

ANTARCTIC ICE-BARRIERS. 

The transient visit of the Challenger to the antarctic ice-barrier gave hef 
scientific staff the opportunity of examining the structure of the southern ice- 
bergs, which altogether differs from that of the icebergs with which our 
northern navigators are familiar — these last being now universally regarded 
as glaciers, wiiich have descended the seaward valleys of Greenland and 
Labrador, and have floated away when no longer supported by a solid base — 
and the information they have gathered is of considerable interest as helping 
us to form a more definite conception of the condition of our part of the globe 
during the glacial epoch. A number of independent considerations now lead 
almost irresistibly to the conclusion that the icebergs of the antarctic region 
are for the most part detached portions of a vast ice-sheet, covering a land- 
surface — either continuous, or broken up into an archipelago of islands — 
which occu[)ies the principal part of the vast circumpolar area, estimated at 
about four-and-a-half millions of square miles — or nearly double the area of 
Australia. Of this ice-sheet, the edge forms the gieat southern "ice-barrier," 
which presents itself, whenever it has been approached sufficiently near to be 
distinctly visible, as a continuous ice-cliff rising from two hundred to two 
hundred and fifty feet above the sea-level. The icebergs of the Antarctic Sea 
are as a rule distinguished by their tabular form, and by the great uniformity 
of their height. This, in bergs which show the least sign of change since 
their first detachment from the parent mass, seldom varies much from two 
hundred feet above the sea-line. The tabular surface of the typical berg is 
nearly flat, and is parallel with the sea-line. Its shape usually approaches the 
rectangular, and it is bounded all round by nearly perpendicular cliffs. From 
a comparison of the specific gravity of berg-ice with that of sea-water, it 
appears that the quantity of ice beneath the surface required to float that which 
is elevated above it, must be about nine times as great. In other words, sup- 
posing that a berg had the regular shape of a box, its entire depth from its 
upper surface to its base must be ten times its height above the sea-level. 
Consequently, if the latter be two Imndred feet, the entire height of the mass 
would be two thousand feet — which might thus be assumed to be the thickness 
of the ice-sheet from whose margin it was detached. This estimate must not 
be accepted, however, as other than approximative. The dimensions of these 
bergs vary greatly. Those seen from the Challenger were generally from one 
to three miles long ; but single bergs are reported of seven or even ten miles 
in length, and an enormous mass of floating ice, probably composed of a chain 
of bergs locked together, forming a hook sixty miles long by forty miles broad, 
and inclosing a bay forty miles in breadth, was passed in 1854 by twenty-one 
merchant ships, in a latitude corresponding to that of the northern coast of 
Portugal. 

Speaking of the intensity of Arctic cold the chronicler of Lieutenant 
Schwatka's expedition in search of the remains of Sir John Franklin records 
some interesting facts regarding the great cold of the Arctic regions. The 
lowest temperature met with by the company was 103° below the freezing- 
jioint, or 71° below zero, Fahrenheit — a degree of cold almost impossible to 
imagine by the people of more temperate climes. The effects of such intense 
cold upon the human system were not so marked in the Lieutenant and his 
companions as might be supposed; and even during the month in which the 
average temperature was 65° below zero, the health of the party remained 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 91 

animpaired. The men adapted themselves as much as possible to the habits 
of the natives, feodini^ largely upon blubber and fat meat, by which the vital 
heat was sustained. Plenty of game was found by the adventurers, who were 
able to secure with their repeating rifles enough reindeer at one time to last 
them for several days. The difficulty of ap})roaching these animals was very 
great — for in the still cold air the step of a man upon the snow could be heard 
two miles away, and the grating of sledge-runners resounded like the clashing 
of ternporod steel. It was not an easy matter to keej) guns in working order 
in this climate — for at 60° below zero, strong oak and hickory would break 
like icicles, and all lubricants harden and interfere with the working of the 
locks. When the guns were brought into the warm atmosphere of the huts 
to be cleaned, they would at once become coated with moisture, and every part 
had to be carefully wiped and dried, lest the hunter on stepping into the cold 
air again would tind a useless block of ice in his hands. A bottle of whisky 
which was in the stores was congealed to the consistency of thick syrup by the 
intense cold, and the cup from which one of the travelers essayed to drink 
actually froze to his lips. The low temperature of this latitude permittt^d 
some of the Esquimaux to practise a terrible revenge upon some wolves which 
had attacked tiiem. They set upright in the ice several keen knife-blades, and 
covered them with blood. These the wolves licked, slicing their tongues, but 
being prevented by the cold from feeling the wounds at the time; and their 
own warm blood tempted them to continue licking until their tongues were so 
scarified that death was inevitable. 

A BALLOON EXPEDITION. 

Commander Cheyne, the Arctic explorer, lectured in New York before th^ 
Academy of Sciences and explained his plans for reaching the North Pole, one 
of the j)rincipal objects of the proposed expedition being to give aid to the 
Jeannette, then uppermost in the minds of those who were interested in the 
possible fate of that vessel. 

'' I purpose," he said, "to take on the expedition seventeen men, including 
Lieutenant Schwatka, who has kindly volunteered to join the expedition. We 
will take with us boats, balloons, dogs, provisions for two years and a half, and 
other equipments. We will go up to the coal mine that has been discovered 
at the end of Smith's Sound, and there we will be left by the vessel, which will 
return. We will then be 496 miles from the North Pole. I will relate, as 
showing the dangers of voyaging in these waters, the narrow escape we had in 
the enterprise commanded by Sir James Ross. We were lying fast by an ice- 
berg. The wind was blowing and we had just double-reefed our topsails when 
we heard an avalanche coming down the iceberg to which we were fast. The 
order was given to cut the hawsers. It was none too soon. As we drifted 
off we were caught between two icebergs that closed gradually upon us. They 
3ame closer and closer till it seemed that they must crush us. Sir James Ross 
stood quietly by the wheel, and we were expecting to go to the bottom. But 
the icebergs had caught us so far aft that, as they came together, they urged the 
ship forward, and we slipped through as a nut slips through your fingers when 
you press them over it. 

" Near St. Patrick's Bay will be our winter quarters. If we were going on 
towards the Pole in the usual manner and had more men, we would have, per- 
haps, six sledging parties of five men each. Each man would have to drag 



92 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

216 pounds. I think the journey could be performed by sledges, as I have 
not the most remote idea that there is an open sea about the Pole. Starting 
in April or early in May with our six sledges, we would go fifty or sixty 
miles on our journey, and then sledge No. 6 would stop and bury in some 
safe place all its spare supplies as a depot for the return journey, and that 
sledge would return to the ship. After going fifty or sixty miles more the 
fifth sledge would stop in the same way, bury its spare provisions and return 
to the ship. The first sledge would keep on until the Pole was reached. In 
this way the journey might be made in 106 days. i 

" But I have an easier plan. I want you to examine it carefully and to 
criticise it narrowly. I propose to have three large balloons; the cost will be 
about X4000 each. They will be large enough to carry one and a half or two 
tons each. There will be three men to each balloon. These balloons will 
carry dogs, provisions for fifty-one days, and stores of various kinds. I have 
proposed a new balloon which will have two envelopes of silk instead of one, 
with a layer of gold-beaters' skin between. Each of the balloons will have a 
trail-rope tliat will keep it at a uniform height of about a thousand feet. It 
is asked, How are you going to get your balloons to the Pole? I do not be- 
lieve in either driving or steering a balloon. We shall calculate the wind- 
curve. I shall astablish three observatories, a central station at our wintering 
quarters, one to the north about fifty miles and one to the south about fifty 
miles. These stations will all be connected by telegraph, and reports will be 
made every hour of all the meteorological facts. We shall then be able to 
determine where the centre of the currents of wind are, and we can find the 
wind that will take us to the North Pole, which we can reach in eighteen or 
twenty hours. But how can we get back? If we get there we will get back. 
We can store up some gas in cylinders to make good the necessary loss, or we 
can break up one of the balloons and use the gas in the other two. If we are 
unable to get back the way we came, Lieutenant Schwatka and I are willing 
to try a means of getting away that will make people think we are mad to 
suggest even. There is a possibility, though not a probability, that we may 
go back the other way and land somewhere in Russia, where we can commu- 
nicate with the civilized world." [Applause.] 

A resolution was passed by .the Academy expressing approbation of the 
views of Commander Cheyne. 

FATE OF SIR JOHN FRANKLIN'S EXPEDITION. 

Narrative of the Cruise of the Steam Yacht Fox in the Arc- 
tic Seas — The Explorations of Captain McClintock and his 
Officers in the Hyperborean Regions — The Relics of the 
Lost Yoyagers. 

As a fitting companion piece to the Greely Expedition we now give the 
narrative of screw discovery vessel Fox, Captain McClintock, which vessel 
went out in search of the remains of Sir John Franklin's expedition, known 
to have left their bones on King William's Land, in lat. 70 N. and long. 98 
W. Mr. Rae had been twice in search of the lost navigators, and was once 
directly in the vicinity of King William's Land, but they, at that time, had 
not left Wellington Channel. In 1854 he went over nearly the same ground 
again, and obtained from the Esquimaux the relics of Sir John Franklin's 



THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 93 

party which he took to England, and which was the first authentic evidence 
of the fate of the party. Lady Franklin then fitted out the Fox, which 
steamed as low as Bellot's Straits, from which place parties on sledges went 
down to King William's Land. From tins point we commence this interesting 
narrative of discoveries: 

The winter was unusually cold and stormy. Arrangements were comj)leted 
■during the winter for carrying out our intended plan of search. I lelt it to 
be my duty personally to visit Marshall Island, and in so doing pur|>ose<l to 
complete the circuit of King William's Island. To Lieutenant Hobson I 
allotted the search of the western shore of Boothia to the magnetic pole, and 
from Gateshead Island westward to Wynniatt's furthest. Captain Allen 
Young, our sailing master, was to trace the shore of Prince of Wales' Land, 
from Lieutenant Browne's furthest, and also to examine the coast from Bel lot 
Strait northward to Sir James Ross' furthest. Early spring journeys were 
commenced on the 17th of February, 1859, by Captain Young and myself 
Captain Young carrying his depot across to Prince of Wales' Land, while 1 
went southward towards the magnetic pole, in the hope of communicating 
with the Esquimaux and obtaining such information as might lead us at once 
to the object of our search. I was accompanied by Mr. Peterson, our inter- 
preter, and Alexander Thompson, quartermaster. We had with us two 
sledges drawn by dogs. On the 28th of February, when near Cape Victoria, 
we had the good fortune to meet a small party of natives, and were subse- 
sequently visited by about forty-five individuals. For four days we remained 
in communication with them, obtaining many relics, and the information that 
several years ago a ship was crushed by the ice off the north shore, off 
King William's Island, but that all her people landed safely, and went away 
to the Great Fish river, where they died. This tribe was well supplied with 
wood, obtained, thfey said, from a boat left by the white men on the Great 
River. 

We reached our vessel after twenty-five days' absence, in good health, but 
somewhat reduced by sharp marching, and the unusually severe weather to 
which we had been exposed. For several days after starting the mercury con- 
tinued frozen. On the 2d of April our long projected spring journeys were 
commenced, Lieutenant Hobson accompanying me as far as Cape Victoria ; 
each of us had a sledge drawn by four men, and an auxiliary sledge drawn by 
eix dogs. This was all the force we could muster. Before separating we saw 
two Esquimaux families living out upon the ice in snow huts; from them we 
learned that a second ship had been seen off King William's Island, and that 
she had drifted ashore in the fall of the same year. From this ship tiiey had 
obtained a vast deal of wood and iron. I now gave Lieutenant Hobson di- 
rections to search for the wreck, and to follow up any traces he might find 
upon King William's Island. Accompanied by my own party and Mr. Peter- 
son, 1 iiiarclied along the east shore of King William's Island, occasionally 
passing deserted snow huts, but without meeting natives till the 8th of May, 
when off Cape Norton we arrived at a snow village containing about thirty in- 
habitants. They gathered about us without the slightest appearance of fear or 
shyness, although none had ever seen living white peojile before. They were 
most willing to communicate all their knowledge and barter all their goods, 
but would have stolen everything had they not been closely watched. Many 
more relics of our countrymen were obtained ; we could not carry away all we 
might have jiurchased. They pointed to the inlet we had crossed the day be- 



M THE GREELY ARC'JiC EXPEDITION. 

fore, and told us that one day's march up it, and thence four days overland, 
brought them to the wreck. None of these people had been there since 
1857—8, at which time they said but little remained, their countrymen having 
carried away almost everything. Most of our information was received from 
an intelligent old woman ; she said it was in the fall of the year that the ship 
was forced ashore; many of the white men dropped by the way as they went 
towards the Great River; but this was only known to them in the winter fol- 
lowing, when their bodies were discovered. They all assured us that we would 
find natives upon the south shore, at the Great River, and some few at the 
wreck ; but unfortunately this was not the case. Only one family was met with 
off Point Booth, and none at Montreal Island or any place subsequently visited. 
Point Ogle, Montreal Island and Barrow Island were searched without find- 
ing anything except a few scraps of copper and iron in an Esquimaux hiding- 
place. 

Recrossing the Strait to King William's Island, we continued the examina- 
tion of its southern shore without success until the 24th of May, when about 
ten miles eastward of Cape Herschel a bleached skeleton was found, around 
which lay fragments of European clothing. Upon carefully removing the 
snow a small pocket-book was found, containing a few letters. These, al- 
though much decayed, may yet be deciphered. Judging from the remains of 
his dress, this unfortunate young man was a steward or officer's servant, and 
his position exactly verified the Esquimaux's assertion that they dropped sa 
they walked along. 

On reaching Cape Herschel next dry, we examined Simpson's Cairn, oi 
rather what remains of it, which is only four feet high, and the central stones 
have been removed, as if by men seeking something within it. My impres- 
sion at the time, and which I still retain, is, that records were deposited there 
by the returning crews and subsequently removed by the natives. 

After parting from me at Cape Victoria, on the 28th of April, Lieutenant 
Hobson made for Cape Felix. At a short distance westward of it he found 
a very large cairn, and close to it three small tents, with blankets, old clothes, 
and other relics of a shooting or a magnetic station ; but, although the cairn 
was dug under, and a trench dug all round it at a distance of ten feet, no 
record was discovered. A piece of black paper folded up was found in the 
cairn, and two broken bottles, which may, perhaps, have contained records, 
lay beside it among some stones which had fallen from the top. The most 
interesting of the articles discovered here, including a boat's ensign, were 
brought away by Mr. Hobson. About two miles further to the southwest a 
small cairn was found, but neither records nor relics obtained. About three 
miles north of Point Victory a second small cairn was examined, but only a 
broken pickaxe and empty canister found. 

On the 6th of May Lieutenant Hobson pitched his tent beside a large cairn 
upon Point Victory. Lying among some loose stones, which had fallen from 
the top of this cairn, was found a small tin case, containing a record, the sub- 
stance of which is briefly as follows: "This cairn was built by the Franklin 
Expedition, upon the assumed site of Sir James Ross' Pillar, which has not 
been found. The Erebus and Terror spent their first winter at Beechy Island, 
after having ascended Wellington Channel to latitude 77° N., and returned by 
the west side of Cornwall is .Island. On the 12th of September, 1846, they 
were beset in lat. 70° 05' N.and long. 98° 23' W. Sir J. Franklin died June 11, 
1847. On the 22d of April, 1848, the ships were abandoned five leagues to 



THE GKEELY ARCTIC EXPP:D1TI0N. 95 

the N. N. W. of Point Victory, and tlie survivors, 105 in number, landed 
licre under the cointnand of Captain CVozier." This paper was dated April 
25th, 1848, and upon the following day they intended to «tart for the Great 
Fish river. The total loss by ileatlis in the expedition up to this date was nine 
officers ami til'teen men. 

A vast (jiiantity of clothing and stores of all sorts lay strewn about, as if 
here every article was thrown away which could possibly be dispensed with — 
picka.xes, shovels, boats, cooking utensils, ironwork, rope, blocks, canvas, a 
dip circle, a sextant engraved " Frederic Hornby, R. N.," a small medicine 
(^hest, oars, etc. A few miles southward, across Back Bay, a second record was 
found, having been deposited by Lieutenant Gore and M. des Voeux, in May, 
1847. It afforded no additional information. 

Lieutenant llobson continued his search until within a few days' march of 
Cape Ilorschel, without finding any trace of the wreck or of natives. He 
left full information of his important discoveries for me ; therefore, when re- 
turning northward by the west shore of King William's Island, I had the 
advantage of knowing what had already been found. Soon after leaving Cape 
Herschel the traces of natives became less numerous and less recent, and after 
rounding the west point of the island they ceased altogether. This shore is 
extremely low, and almost utterly destitute of vegetation. Numerous banks 
of shingle and low islets lie off it, and beyond these Victoria Strait is covered 
with heavy and impenetrable packed ice. When in latitude 69° 09' N. and 
longitude 99° 27' W., we came to a large boat, discovered by Lieutenant 
Hobson a few days previously, as his notice informed me. It appears that 
this boat hud been intended for the ascent of the Fish river, but was abandoned 
ap})arentiy upon a return journey to the ships, the sledge upon which she was 
mounted being pointed in that direction. She measured twenty-eight feet in 
length by seven and one-half feet wide, and was most carefully fitted, and 
made as light as possible, but the sledge was of solid oak and almost as heavy 
as the boat. A large quantity of clothing was found within her, also two 
human skeletons. One of these lay in the afterpart of the boat, umler a pile 
of clothing; the other, which was much more disturbed, probably by animals, 
was found in the bow. Five pocket watches, a quantity of silver spoons and 
forks, and a few religious books were also found, but no journals, pocket- 
books, or even names upon any article of clothing. Two double-barrelled 
guns stood upright against the boat's side, precisely as they had been placed 
eleven years before. One barrel in each was loaded and cocked ; there was 
ammunition in abundance, also thirty or forty pounds of chocolate, some tea 
and tobacco. Fuel was not wanting; a drift tree lay within one hundred 
yards of the boat. 

Many very interesting relics were brought away by Lieutenant Hobson, 
and some few by myself. On the 5th of June I reached Point Victory with- 
out having found anything further. The clothing, etc., was again examined 
for documents, note books, etc., without success, a record placed in the cairn, 
and another buried ten feet true north of it. 

Nothing worthy of remark occurred upon my return journey to the ship, 
which we reached on the 19th of June, five days after Lieutenant Hobson. 
The shore of King William's Lsland, between its north and west extremes, 
Capes Felix and Crozier, has not been visited by the Esquimaux since the 
abandonment of the Erebus and Terror, as the cairns and articles lying 
3trewed about^ which are in their eyes of priceless value, remain untouched. 



oBatHsmsaa 

96 THE GREELY ARCTIC EXPEDITION. 

If the wreck still remains visible it is probable she lies upon some of the off- 
lying islets to the southward between Capes Crozier and Herschel. 

On the 28th of June Captain Young and his party returned, having com- 
pleted their |)ortion of the search, by which the insularity of Prince of Wales' 
Land was determined and the coast line intervening between the extreme 
points reached by Lieutenants Osborne and Browne discovered; also between 
Bel lot Strait and Sir James Ross' furthest in 1849, at Four River Bay. 

Fearing that his provisions might not last out the requisite period, Captain 
Young sent back four of his men, and for forty days journeyed on through 
fogs and gales, with but one man and the dogs, building a snow hut each night ; 
but few men could stand so long a continuance of labor and privation, and its 
eifect upon Captain Young was painfully evident. Lieutenant Hobson was 
unable to stand without assistance upon his return on board ; he was not in 
good health when he commenced his long journey, and the sudden severe, ex- 
posure brought on a serious attack of scurvy ; yet he also most ably completed 
his work, and such facts will more clearly evince the unflinching spirit with 
which the object of our voyage has been pursued in these detached duties than 
any praise of mine. We are now, at length, all on board again. As there 
were some slight cases of scurvy, all our treasured resources of Burton ale, 
lemon juice and fresh animal food were put into requisition, so that in a com- 
paratively short time all were restored to sound health. 

The rest of the narrative relates his return voyage. Accompanying the 
narrative is a description of the relics of Franklin's party brought home and 
those seen. 

From all that can be gleaned from the record paper and the evidence af- 
forded by the boat and various articles of clothing and equipment discovered, 
it appears that the abandonment of the Erebus and Terror had been deliber- 
ately arranged, and every effort exerted during the third winter to render the 
travelling equipments complete. It is mnch to be apprehended that disease 
had greatly reduced the strength of all on board — far more, perhaps, than 
they themselves were aware of. The distance by sledge route from the posi- 
tion of the ships when abandoned to the boat is sisty-iive geographical miles ; 
and from the ships to Montreal Island 220 miles. 

Baron Nordenskjold's report of his journey into the heart of Greenland 
•states that during the march the ice was sometimes so uneven that no tent 
could be pitched ; sometimes it was so soft and slushy that a dry spot could 
not be found ; and sometimes it so abounded with smrJl cavities that it was 
impossible to avoid putting the foot in them. These cavities have a curious in- 
terest. The interior seems to abound with them, and, besides, they were found 
to contain a muddy sediment, which Nordenskjold named kryokonite. This, 
he believes, is formed of dust driven over the inland ice by wind, but mixed 
with what Nordenskjold is convinced is metallic dust from cosmical space. 
Altogether, there must be a vast quantity of this substance spread over the 
interior; it appears to melt the ice beneath it, and M'hen the thaw comes sinks 
down into these cavities, which, curiously, never freeze over sufficiently to 
bear the weight of a man. Vegetation was met with, but this was everywhere 
over the ice itself, microscopical and fungoid in character, and finding a hold- 
ing-ground in the widespread kryokonite referred to. Not the least curious 
occurrence noted by the explorer was that of a dry, warm mist that descended 
on him and his companions, and which had the curious effect of drying their 
damp clothes. 

M 

V 



rrmirnrTrfr*"**"— *"*************""■■■■■■ 




" Into tluH cave we were now fatally making our way I " 
wSn ^iifeii ^Jlbgriinb ful)rte nun unfere aefaljrlic^e 8iei[e." 



-J 



■■■■■■"■ ■! 



I 



.V->>. 




"^ 













'.■^ .' 



,-^ 










.-Jv' 













,-Jv . 










s^ 




\' 



U^j;.^ 




.^^' ^. 







7:^" ,G^ 



.40. 




^^ 



^' 











V 



-^^ 











,~J^ , 



<^. 




0' "^^M^^-^ "^ ■^ 










^, 




^^ 



•\ 







u ^"^ 

vv 



v^ .-r^'* 







C, rP 




■^^. 



C" ^ 



0' 







,0' 






,0v-^ 



.^' ^' 



A 



^"^U^c,^" 



" " " • <^ 







"; 


'-^^ 


0^ 








' • 


./ 


°<. 


ir 


<p- 












v^ 














^-..^^' 




o 













A^ 



<^^ 
^ 



> 



A'" 






Ap9^ 



V 






A 



V^, 



-O" 



•^^0^ 



.^'.-7'- 0-^ 










•' . « s 






t^ 


0^ 






sV" 














DOeBS BROS. 

L[Bn,kHY BINOINQ 









.V 



?v" ''4^. 



.■sr 






ST. AUGUSTINE -v^^ ."J> 

/^r r: \ FLA. 






^^^ 32084 



,0^,- 






u 



